Runaway Statues: Platonic Lessons on the Limits of an Analogy :: Philosophy Plato Analogy Essays

Runaway Statues Platonic Lessons on the Limits of an Analogy revoke Platos best-known distinction between knowledge and opinion occurs in the Meno. The distinction rests on an analogy that compares the encyclopedism and retention of knowledge to the acquisition and retention of rich material goods. But Plato saw the limitations of the analogy and took line to warn against culture the wrong lessons from it. In this paper, I will return this familiar analogy with a view to seeing how Plato both uses and distances himself from it.Platos best-known distinction between knowledge and opinion occurs in the Meno. The distinction rests on an analogy that compares the acquisition and retention of knowledge to the acquisition and retention of valuable material goods. But Plato saw the limitations of the analogy and took pains to warn against learning the wrong lessons from it. In the next few pages I will revisit this familiar analogy with a view to seeing how Plato both uses and distances himself from it. conceive Platos analogy.To acquire an un secure work of Daedalus is not worth much, like acquiring a conductaway slave, for it does not remain, only if it is worth much if it is tied drop, for his works are very beautiful. What am I thinking of when I say this? True opinions.(1)When one owns a valuable statue fashioned by a great artist, one becomes responsible for its security. So life-like it is that it may run away and escape, jokes Plato, the point being that because fine statues are attractive to early(a) people, their owners must take precautions against their loss by tying then down. Opinions, on this analogy, are potentially flighty, like a slave who runs away from an owner. A slave who runs away is, from the slave-holders point of view, worthless. Plato writes,For correct opinion, as long as they remain, are a fine thing and all they do is good, but they are not willing to remain long, and they escape from a mans mind, so that they are not worth very much until one ties them down by (giving) an account of the reason wherefore... After they are tied down, in the first place they become knowledge, and then they remain in place. That is why knowledge is prized higher than correct opinion, and knowledge differs from opinion in being tied down.(2)A valuable statue bought and put in a tend must be tied down.