The Argument Of Paradox In Meno, By Plato

In Meno, by Plato, a question is posed to Socrates whether virtue can be taught, or whether it comes by practice, or is acquired by one’s birth and nature. During this discussion between Meno and Socrates an interesting paradox appears, called Meno’s Dilemma. This paradox is formed in a four statement argument. First, either one knows or does not know X (variable). Secondly, If X is known one cannot learn it, as it is already known. If one does not know X then one cannot learn it because one does not know what you are trying to learn or where to learn it. Therefore, one cannot learn X. Plato, through the words of Socrates, attempts to prove this argument by proving the third statement wrong using an Argument of Recollection. Meno’s Dilemma is an extremely wicked problem because

These feats were accomplished through thousands, possibly millions of situations of experiential learning. When we consider the Structure of a teacher and a pupil, the second objection, we consider this possible objection to statement three separately from the objection of experiential learning. Say one does not know X, and if we assume that statement three is correct, than one cannot learn X because one does not know what to look for. However, if another person knows X, then that person can teach X to others who perhaps do not know X. There is a flaw in this logic however. If we assume one knows X, and learned X from a teacher, then where did the teacher learn? From another teacher we can presume. If we follow this logic back through chain of teachers eventually we will arrive at the conclusion that this knowledge originated from one teacher, and so the question arises… where did this original teacher learn X? Plato attempts to answer this, and prove Meno’s Dilemma false