Learning as Recollection

Abstract

Important philosophic theses often have the disturbing character of falling somewhere between the areas of a priori propositions, empirical theories, and mere metaphors. One such thesis is Plato’s proposal, expounded most fully in Meno 80D-86C, that learning of a certain kind is recollection. The aim of this paper is to explore both the nature of the problem which this proposal was designed to solve, and the explanatory power of the alleged solution. In what follows no attempt will be made to give a comprehensive interpretation of the passage referred to above; in particular, nothing is said about the relation of this proposal to the Theory of Forms, and about whether the slave boy has knowledge or mere belief at the end of the demonstration of his learning geometry. Attention is given, however, not only to what Plato actually said, but also to what his statements entail. Thus, for example, part of this investigation explores the type of learning model Plato commits himself to, even though no full account of any model is given in the text.