Plato and Innate Knowledge - 1850 Words

Knowledge is present everywhere in society. Every human being has it. Some may have a lot, while some might have very little. How is one supposed to attain such knowledge? According to some philosophers it’s a tossup between being born with it while others think that knowledge is gained as one grows up. In simple terms, is knowledge nature or nurture? Are you already born to be joining IMSA or are you brought up with a great education? Plato believes that knowledge is innate, meaning that it’s already in you from the beginning, also known as a priori knowledge. But other philosophers claim that knowledge is gained through experience. While Plato’s theory does make some sense, I believe that the opposing side, empiricism, has more value in†¦show more content†¦I think that everyone child is born fearless, they are not scared of anything from the beginning of birth since they have not been exposed to anything that could â€Å"scare them†. The reason that I believe that phobia is an environmental factor is the fact that it is from experience where people begin their fears. When I was little my brother would carry me on his back in the pool. He would pretend to drop me, and since I was little and couldn’t swim I was scared he would let me go and I would drown. For a long time after that I had been scared of the pool for fear of me drowning. Another experience can be someone falling down the stairs. Before they would have no problem climbing up and down stairs with no fear, but if given one time they accidentally trip and fall down the stairs they start creating this fear of climbing stairs. Just from that experience they gain this fear of walking down stairs. One other experience I see is that people have a lot of phobias on animals. It is not from birth that we get scared of animals. For example, there is a good population of people who have arachnophobia (fear of spiders). The only reason that people get scared of it i s that society likes to portray them as scary. Spiders have a negative connotation, like in scary movies or especially in the â€Å"spooky† holiday, Halloween, so people start to form fears of spiders. I am very afraid of them but my parents’ are not because when they grew up they saw them as pets andShow MoreRelatedPlato, Locke, And The Question Of Innate Ideas1829 Words   |  7 PagesPlato, Locke and the Question of Innate Ideas Plato and Locke have opposite opinions on the matter of innate ideas. Plato argues that the recognition of truth in reality is derived from the recollection of truth in the soul. A necessary part of Platos argument is that recollection of Truth depends upon the existence of an immortal soul. Locke, on the other hand, rejects Platos argument by stating that the recognition of truth is not dependent on recollection but is rather self-evidentRead MoreThe Existence Of Innate Ideas1275 Words   |  6 PagesUnderstanding, he presents many ideas of knowledge and its origins. He rejects the existence of innate ideas and proves his beliefs with many arguments, one being that â€Å"universal consent proves nothing innate† (Locke 630). Another argument is that children and idiots do not have this knowledge imprinted on their minds, which must prove innate knowledge to be nonexistent. I disagree with Locke because I believe we all have immortal souls that carry on knowledge from our pas t lives, and in the theoryRead MoreRationalism732 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"recollecting† knowledge that the soul already had. In Plato’s Meno his argument was with â€Å"recollection doctrine† of knowledge was already having the concept to begin with and people were just â€Å"recollecting† prior knowledge. Plato continues to argue rationalism through Phaedo with the Socratic Method. Plato uses his arguments in Phaedo using Socrates’ voice and other characters to explore rational arguments. It is only when the philosophers realize the truth, is when they will know the true knowledge, evenRead MoreAristotle s Views On Metaphysics And Epistemology783 Words   |  4 Pagessolid words, theories, and assertions. Two very influential and famous philosophers are Plato and Aristotle. Although Aristotle was a student of Plato, they have differing views of metaphysics and epistemology. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that attempts to give a complete and systematic account of all reality and existence. Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature and grounds of knowledge; epistemology asks what something is and how it came to be. One’s metaphysical positionRead MoreBorn in the 5th century BCE, Plato was a rationalist, idealist philosopher, believing that we are1100 Words   |  5 Pagesthe 5th century BCE, Plato was a rationalist, id ealist philosopher, believing that we are born with concepts within us, and that these concepts are the same for everyone (Solomon, Higgins, Martin, 2012). Through his beliefs, Plato developed a theory which he believed answered the question of ‘What is reality?’, that he called the theory of Forms (Solomon, et al., 2012). According to Plato, the Forms are a perfect ideal of an object or a concept, which is unchanging and innate within us (Solomon,Read More Recollection in Platos Phaedo and Meno Essay602 Words   |  3 Pagestexts, Plato is often misrepresented as merely reproducing Socratic rhetoric. In Meno, one of the first Platonic dialogues, Plato offers his own unique philosophical theory, infused with his mentors brilliant sophistry. Amidst discussing whether or not virtue can be taught, Meno poses a difficult paradox: How can one be virtuous, or seek virtue, when one cannot know what it is? How will you aim to search for something you do not know at all? (Plato, Meno, 80d). From this question, Plato purposesRead MoreNotes on Chapter Two- Does the Center Hold? Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesTruth Rationalist Epistemology Epistemology * Theory of knowledge; often provokes big questions on the meaning and justifications of conventional knowledge. * Ex; What is knowledge? Can we know anything for certain? What are the limitations of what we know? * Socrates began to question the usual perceptions of knowledge, advocating for a clearer picture than common sense allowed. The Philosophy of Plato * You cannot claim to know something if you cannot claim to believeRead MoreThe Philosophy of John Locke Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesseven, he had effectively taught himself how to read and write. According to the philosophy of John Locke, Johnathan’s knowledge did not come from innate ideas or principles, but rather from experiences and sensations. Although John Locke’s thoughts were monumental, flaws exist in the rejection of innate ideas. John Locke begins his argument with a weighty dismissal. Contending innate, or inborn, ideas do not exist. In essence, Locke claims that humans set out as empty cabinets. As time progresses humanRead MoreJohn Locke s Theory Of Nativism1629 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Locke, an empiricist belonging to seventeenth century philosophy, is well-known today for his An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In chapter ii of Book I of this work, Locke firmly rejects the theory of nativism that proposes innate ideas in humans. An important disclaimer to be noted before continuing is that Locke makes his case by first interpreting nativism in its simplest form (occurrent nativism) -- as opposed to the dispositional nativism that requires a sophisticated process ofRead MoreRationalism And Rationalism788 Words   |  4 Pageswith concrete knowledge and with â€Å"what is knowledge†? In other words, what can be known, how it came to be known, and the source of knowledge is epistemology. Emp iricism and rationalism both deal with the epistemology branch of philosophy. Even more specifically, rationalism and empiricism are concerned with how knowledge is gained. Rationalism argues that knowledge is innate and harbored in the human mind before birth, in a sort of pre-existence. An example of this would be when Plato tried to illustrate