Finally, Socrates comes to the idea of knowledge as true judgment accompanied by "an account," meaning evidence or reason. In this context, knowledge would mean not only believing something true, but also having a reasonable justification for that belief; in other words, this definition proposes that knowledge means knowing a true thing and knowing why that thing is true. However, even here Socrates has a problem with the definition, because one cannot ultimately distinguish between the preliminary knowledge required for true judgment and the knowledge required to make an account of that judgment, such that one is led in circle back to the defining of knowledge. Ultimately, Socrates concludes that they cannot truly define knowledge (at least that point) and gives up.
The attempts to define knowledge in Theaetetus is particularly interesting because it simultaneously demonstrates how Plato suffers from a lack of critical depth regarding the presence of evidence for his metaphysical claims while also retaining a kind of implicit awareness of the impossibility of defining abstract ideas without an appeal to physicality. The difficulty in defining knowledge only appears when one attempts to do so in a truly abstract, metaphysical fashion, and it is telling that although Socrates eventually gives up on the effort, Plato himself does not realize that this difficulty arises from a fundamental flaw in his presuppositions regarding the existence of metaphysical forms and ideas. This failure to recognize a demonstration of metaphysics' lack of actual utility is indicative of much philosophy in general, and its helps one to understand how so much of Western thought has been characterized by a lack of critical inquiry and reflection.
Aristotle's attempts to differentiate between different kinds of knowledge suffer from the same problem, but at least in his case his distinctions (such as that between episteme and techne) are dependent on observable realities, meaning that his explanations of what knowledge is and how it works depend largely on how humans use knowledge, rather than an appeal to some sort of fundamental, transcendent truth or...
We do not seek honor because it is valuable in itself, we seek honor to make us feel good, to achieve happiness. Aristotle believed that a true, ultimate must be sought for its own sake, that the end goal be self-sufficient and final. For Aristotle, the good life is the "life of contemplation." Contemplation, the activity of the intellect, is loved for its own sake. It is not done in
Medieval Philosophy In the introduction to the Greenwood series the Great Cultural Eras of the Western World, A.D. 500 to 1300, is described as the Middle Ages. "Borders and peoples were never quiescent during these tumultuous times." Schulman (2002). Germanic tribes had invaded and settled in the former Roman Empire, and the synthesis of three cultures -- the classical, Christian, and Germanic -- had begun. In the sixth century, Clovis had completed
Jacques Derrida has been accused of writing in a deliberately obtuse and obfuscated manner, so the relationship between his work and that of Plato's might not be immediately discernible. Perhaps the clearest connection between the two can be derived from Derrida's of Grammatology, especially as it compares to Plato's aesthetics and view of reality. In this rather dense treatise, Derrida first outlines the phenomenon of what he calls logocentrism --
He believed, a bit more than Sophocles, that through behavior, humans can actually change fate. Fate does control, yes, but only punishes those who fly in the face of all that is just and divine. For instance, Plato would agree with Sophocles that Fate would have a hand in punishing those who rule via hubris, or supreme confidence in their wisdom and strengths. However, Plato believed that through acting
Conception of the Good One of the most critical and central aspects to human activity has presumably been the search for a good life and happiness. In attempts to understand and explain the quest for a good life and happiness, various philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Augustine have tried to explain the conception of good. Most of these philosophers have carried out their work in Athens, which is a great
For those who have the literary and aesthetic chops for the task, creative writing is capable of substituting for the imaginative wish fulfillment Freud explains is a part of all childhood development. For the rest of us, creative writing is one way to vicariously experience the daydreams of others in which the ego is finally given its due and able to transcend the limitations of the real world. In the
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now