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Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno

Year 2017, Issue: 29, 33 - 45, 30.10.2017
https://doi.org/10.20981/kaygi.341293

Abstract

The Meno contains a host of puzzles and problems, not the least
of which is the status of the theory of recollection in the dialogue. This
essay aims to present both the theory of recollection and what has been called
Meno’s Paradoxnot as epistemological issues, but as issues of eristic and protreptic.
I suggest that the true purpose of the
Meno
s use of the theory of recollection is to be found in
the implicit and explicit caveats that Socrates uses to frame the theory. These
caveats, which indicate that we should not take the theory of recollection as
demonstrated or proven, ultimately justify interpreting Socrates’ claims about
the theory of recollection serving a protreptic rôle as definitive. This paper
has three sections. Section I offers some preliminary remarks on the nature of
philosophical protreptic as a literary genre of the fourth century in general
and its employment in Plato. Section II distinguishes the geometry problem used
to 'demonstrate' the theory of recollection is employed to solve from the problem
of inquiry into virtue that Socrates and Meno are facing. I show that the two
problem are disanalagous. I also discuss the character of Meno as susciptible
to a certain kind of persuasion, and how Socrates converts Meno's questions
about the possibility of philosophical enquiry into a sophistical paradox and
offers the theory of recollection as a solution to it. Finally, Section III
offers evidence that Plato provides us with a number of caveats and warnings
about taking the theory of recollection in the Meno as serious epistemology,
leading to the conclusion that Plato's primary purpose in employing it in the
Meno is as a protreptic device meant to keep Meno on the path of philosophical
inquiry.

References

  • BLONDELL, R. (2002). The Play of Character in Plato’s Dialogues, Cambridge.
  • BLUCK, R. (1961). Plato’s Meno, Cambridge.
  • BOWE, G.S. (2007). “In Defense of Clitophon,” Classical Philology, 102/2007: 245-264.
  • CALVERT B. (1974) “Meno’s Paradox Reconsidered,” Journal of the History of Philosophy, 12/1974: 143-52.
  • CARGILE, J. (1995). “Paradox,” The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, ed. T. Honderich, pp. 642-644, Oxford.
  • CORNFORD, F. M. (1971). “Anamnesis,” Plato’s Meno, ed. by Brown, pp. 108-127. Indianapolis.
  • DESJARDINS, R. (1985) “Knowledge and Virtue: Paradox in Plato‘s Meno,” Review of Metaphysics, 39/1985: 261-281.
  • DESJARDINS, R. (1990). The Rational Enterprise: Logos in Plato’s Theaetetus, New York.
  • GUTHRIE, W. K. C. (1956). A History of Greek Philosophy IV, Cambridge.
  • HOERBER, R. (1960), “Plato’s ‘Meno’”, Phronesis, 5/1960: 78-102.
  • KLEIN, J. (1965). A Commentary on Plato’s Meno, Chicago.
  • MOLINE, J. (1969). “Meno’s Paradox?”, Phronesis 14/1969: 153-61.
  • MORAVSIC, J. (1971) “Learning as Recollection,” Plato I, ed. by G. Vlastos, pp. 53-69, New York.
  • NAILS, D. (2002). The People of Plato, Indianapolis. NEHEMAS, A. (1985). “Meno’s Paradox and Socrates as a Teacher,” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy III, ed. by Julia Annas, pp. 1-30, Oxford.
  • PENNER, T. (1973). “'The Unity of Virtue,” Philosophical Review, 82/1973: 35–68.
  • PHIILIPS, B (1965). “The Significance of Meno’s Paradox,” Plato’s Meno: Text and Criticism, eds. by Sesonske and Fleming, pp. 77-83, Belmont.
  • ROBINSON, R. (1953). Plato’s Earlier Dialectic, Oxford at Clarendon.
  • SCOTT, D. (1987). “Platonic Anamnesis Revisited,” Classical Quarterly, 37/1987: 346-66.
  • SEESKIN, K. (1987). Dialogue and Discovery, New York.
  • SHOREY, P. (1933). What Plato Said, Chicago.
  • SLINGS, S.R. (1999) Plato: Clitophon, Cambridge.
  • TAYLOR, A.E. (1948). Plato: The Man and His Work, New York.
  • UMPHREY, S. (1990). Zetetic Scepticism, Longwood.
  • WEISS, R. (2001). Virtue in the Cave, Oxford.
  • WHITE, N. (1975). “Inquiry”, Review of Metaphysics, 28/1975: 289-310.
  • WOODRUFF, P. (1990). “Plato’s Early Theory of Knowledge,” Companions to Ancient Thought I, ed. Everson, pp. 60-84, Cambridge.
Year 2017, Issue: 29, 33 - 45, 30.10.2017
https://doi.org/10.20981/kaygi.341293

Abstract

References

  • BLONDELL, R. (2002). The Play of Character in Plato’s Dialogues, Cambridge.
  • BLUCK, R. (1961). Plato’s Meno, Cambridge.
  • BOWE, G.S. (2007). “In Defense of Clitophon,” Classical Philology, 102/2007: 245-264.
  • CALVERT B. (1974) “Meno’s Paradox Reconsidered,” Journal of the History of Philosophy, 12/1974: 143-52.
  • CARGILE, J. (1995). “Paradox,” The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, ed. T. Honderich, pp. 642-644, Oxford.
  • CORNFORD, F. M. (1971). “Anamnesis,” Plato’s Meno, ed. by Brown, pp. 108-127. Indianapolis.
  • DESJARDINS, R. (1985) “Knowledge and Virtue: Paradox in Plato‘s Meno,” Review of Metaphysics, 39/1985: 261-281.
  • DESJARDINS, R. (1990). The Rational Enterprise: Logos in Plato’s Theaetetus, New York.
  • GUTHRIE, W. K. C. (1956). A History of Greek Philosophy IV, Cambridge.
  • HOERBER, R. (1960), “Plato’s ‘Meno’”, Phronesis, 5/1960: 78-102.
  • KLEIN, J. (1965). A Commentary on Plato’s Meno, Chicago.
  • MOLINE, J. (1969). “Meno’s Paradox?”, Phronesis 14/1969: 153-61.
  • MORAVSIC, J. (1971) “Learning as Recollection,” Plato I, ed. by G. Vlastos, pp. 53-69, New York.
  • NAILS, D. (2002). The People of Plato, Indianapolis. NEHEMAS, A. (1985). “Meno’s Paradox and Socrates as a Teacher,” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy III, ed. by Julia Annas, pp. 1-30, Oxford.
  • PENNER, T. (1973). “'The Unity of Virtue,” Philosophical Review, 82/1973: 35–68.
  • PHIILIPS, B (1965). “The Significance of Meno’s Paradox,” Plato’s Meno: Text and Criticism, eds. by Sesonske and Fleming, pp. 77-83, Belmont.
  • ROBINSON, R. (1953). Plato’s Earlier Dialectic, Oxford at Clarendon.
  • SCOTT, D. (1987). “Platonic Anamnesis Revisited,” Classical Quarterly, 37/1987: 346-66.
  • SEESKIN, K. (1987). Dialogue and Discovery, New York.
  • SHOREY, P. (1933). What Plato Said, Chicago.
  • SLINGS, S.R. (1999) Plato: Clitophon, Cambridge.
  • TAYLOR, A.E. (1948). Plato: The Man and His Work, New York.
  • UMPHREY, S. (1990). Zetetic Scepticism, Longwood.
  • WEISS, R. (2001). Virtue in the Cave, Oxford.
  • WHITE, N. (1975). “Inquiry”, Review of Metaphysics, 28/1975: 289-310.
  • WOODRUFF, P. (1990). “Plato’s Early Theory of Knowledge,” Companions to Ancient Thought I, ed. Everson, pp. 60-84, Cambridge.
There are 26 citations in total.

Details

Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Geoffrey Bove This is me 0000-0003-1470-5039

Publication Date October 30, 2017
Submission Date October 2, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Issue: 29

Cite

APA Bove, G. (2017). Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno. Kaygı. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi(29), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.20981/kaygi.341293
AMA Bove G. Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno. Kaygı. October 2017;(29):33-45. doi:10.20981/kaygi.341293
Chicago Bove, Geoffrey. “Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno”. Kaygı. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi, no. 29 (October 2017): 33-45. https://doi.org/10.20981/kaygi.341293.
EndNote Bove G (October 1, 2017) Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno. Kaygı. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi 29 33–45.
IEEE G. Bove, “Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno”, Kaygı, no. 29, pp. 33–45, October 2017, doi: 10.20981/kaygi.341293.
ISNAD Bove, Geoffrey. “Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno”. Kaygı. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi 29 (October 2017), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.20981/kaygi.341293.
JAMA Bove G. Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno. Kaygı. 2017;:33–45.
MLA Bove, Geoffrey. “Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno”. Kaygı. Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Dergisi, no. 29, 2017, pp. 33-45, doi:10.20981/kaygi.341293.
Vancouver Bove G. Paradox and Protreptic in Plato’s Meno. Kaygı. 2017(29):33-45.

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