Equality In Phaedo

In the section of the Phaedo we read, Socrates argues that one has knowledge of the form absolute equality prior to birth, and that learning is a “recovering of knowledge which is natural to us” (40). Socrates’ argument for theory of recollection and that one cannot acquire knowledge of absolute equality through empirical means does succeed despite some minor issues with it. Socrates first proves that there is no example of absolute equality in one’s own experience. To do this Socrates and his interlocutors first have to accept that absolute equality, the standard by which all other ‘equal’ objects can be measured, does exist and is known. The question then arises as to whether there is an example of this absolute equality in observation …show more content…
Socrates argues, “since we must have acquired the knowledge of equality at some previous time” and one has had knowledge of absolute equality since birth then he concludes that “we can affirm with certainty that we acquire the knowledge before birth” (39). By proving this, Socrates has paved the way for the idea that like the form of absolute equality, other forms are also known before birth including beauty, justice, etc. …show more content…
In fact, to Socrates learning is remembering what one has forgotten (how exactly one forgets is not quite clear) and as he puts it, can be “rightly termed recollection” (40). Socrates definition of learning is “simply recollection (40) and his definition of true knowledge is knowledge of the forms, including absolute equality (find passage for this, perhaps explore further above) which are known prior to birth. Knowledge is known only through non-empirical means and while learning/recollecting it may indeed happen through the senses and experience, this is not how one actually acquires it. Since no true knowledge, according to Socrates, can be obtained through experience, it follows that knowledge of absolute equality cannot be acquired through