The Recollection Argument in Plato’s Phaedo
This part of Phaedo (73c – 74a1) explains Plato’s theory of recollection. It takes the form of a Socratic dialogue between Socrates and Cebes that employs the dialectical method (Maieutic): As Socrates asks a question, Cebes answers the question. What Cebes states as an answer or accepts as true becomes a premise of the argument. Then, Socrates draws conclusion from Cebes’s answers, and Cebes must decide whether the conclusion follows the premise in a logically valid manner. During the conversation, Socrates examines Cebes’ assertions and tries to point out any contradictions, while Cebes tries to defend his positions. In this section, Socrates and Cebes examine how knowledge comes into being through
This part of Phaedo (73c – 74a1) explains Plato’s theory of recollection. It takes the form of a Socratic dialogue between Socrates and Cebes that employs the dialectical method (Maieutic): As Socrates asks a question, Cebes answers the question. What Cebes states as an answer or accepts as true becomes a premise of the argument. Then, Socrates draws conclusion from Cebes’s answers, and Cebes must decide whether the conclusion follows the premise in a logically valid manner. During the conversation, Socrates examines Cebes’ assertions and tries to point out any contradictions, while Cebes tries to defend his positions. In this section, Socrates and Cebes examine how knowledge comes into being through