The Relationship between Knowledge, Correct Opinion and Virtue

Running Header: The Relationship between Knowledge, Correct Opinion and Virtue
Name
Course
Professor
Date
The Relationship between Knowledge, Correct Opinion and Virtue
According to McDonald (2005), Plato gives a complete depiction of Socrates’ typical rejection of knowledge in the Meno. Socrates’ claim that he does not have knowledge of a virtue comes as a shock to Socrates’ interlocutor, Meno. Although Socrates asserts that he has no knowledge, he is sure that having the correct opinion is not similar to knowledge (Plato, 2000). This assertion, to Socrates, is a rare admission. As a result, it is important to launch an investigation into the existing differences between correct opinion and knowledge.
In Meno, Socrates talks about correct opinion, which is often denoted as true opinion, and knowledge. At the outset, Socrates gives a picture of the difference between knowledge and correct opinion in his response to Meno’s Paradox. Meno had claimed that one cannot make inquiries about things one is not familiar with. The reason Meno gave for this assertion was that one has knowledge about it, hence there is no need for inquiries, or he does not recognize it and therefore cannot make inquiries. As a result, Socrates attempts to contest Meno’s affirmation by a geometrical display using Meno’s slave. It is important to note that Socrates illustrated that the slave possessed correct opinions regarding geometrical theories. That slave had, certainly, not had studies on geometry. Therefore, Socrates construed that Meno’s slave recalled correct opinions that his soul had acquired before joining Meno’s slave’s body (Desjardins, 1985). The difference between these recollections and memories is that memories look upon the activities of each day, and not the knowledge of the soul. At this juncture, Socrates gave a hint regarding the relationship between the nature of knowledge and true opinion. He stated that repetitive and diverse questioning would turn correct opinion into knowledge as regards these things, which would be as precise as any other person’s (Plato, 2000).
As noted by McDonald (2005), another point worth noting is that knowledge and true opinion are not very different when it comes to the actions they generate. Socrates illustrated this notion by visualizing a traveler travelling to Larissa (Plato, 2000).. Socrates continues to note that the usefulness of true opinion is not less than that of knowledge. This happens because true opinion does not generate different actions. However, knowledge is not similar to correct opinion. Socrates argues that the different arises from the content one has regarding truth. A person with knowledge is aware of the why at the back of the truth, whereas an individual with true opinion is only aware of the truth (Scott, 2006).
The mind preserves and secures knowledge for future use through the ability of accounting for the why behind the truth (Thomas, 1980). On the contrary, correct opinion must be tied down in order to stop it from running away and escaping (Plato, 2002). Plato attributes this behavior to the true opinions’ inability to remain in their position, and hence ought to be tied by reasoned explanation or the calculation of reason (2002). This reasoned explanation is referred to as aitias logismos. Immediately, Plato adds that this action is regarded as recollection or anamnesis (Vlastos, 1996).
Therefore, securing knowledge makes it beautiful and highly prized, as a result of the conveyed information and its capacity to be incessantly used in future. For that reason, it is only through securing one’s recollection, or his correct opinion, that one can possess knowledge. This is illustrated by Meno’s slave. Even though he lacked knowledge on geometric theorems, he could attain it through finding out the reasons behind the answers he worked out. In addition, there is a possibility of upgrading true opinions to knowledge in all subjects through learning why a number of facts are true (Klein, 1965). McDonald (2005) asserts that knowledge is distinguished from correct opinion by logos, which accounts for the why at the back of the truth. Therefore, it can be concluded that one’s ability to provide a logos or an account of the truth is a show of one’s possession of knowledge.
Socrates does not believe in the value of recognizing the distinction between knowledge and true opinion. He takes part in the discussion regarding the subject in an attempt to illustrate that true opinion can advance and turn out to be knowledge (Klein, 1965). As Socrates and Meno go on discussing about a virtue, and whether it c...