Mathematics

Mathematics

Introduction

This paper intends to explore the mathematical problem discussed by Plato. Further it also discusses about the Greek mathematics, their origin and the difference between ancient Greek mathematics and Modern mathematics.

Discussion

Plato's Meno is a series of dialogues between a philosopher (Socrates) from Athens and a young man (Meno) from Thessaly. There are other characters as well, a slave of Meno and wealthy man (Anytus) who is influential aristocrat.

The dialogue takes place between the Socrates and Meno regarding the nature of virtue. Meno enquires from Socrates if virtue is something that can be learnt or it can only be obtained by practice or maybe is there any other way to acquire it. Socrates defines that virtue cannot be explained in words, in turn Socrates asks him about virtue, to which he replies that there are many virtues but the common element in all is temperance, courage and wisdom. However, Socrates did not agree with him. Socrates argued that our soul is immortal and it has been in the previous world, thus it knows everything, we just need to remember it. The process of acquiring knowledge is basically a procedure to remember things from the previous world that has already been learnt by our soul (angelfire.com, n.d).

To further provide evidence and attest his argument, Socrates presented a sequence of mathematical questions to a boy who was kept as a slave for Meno. The questions were geometrical problems that require reasoning in series of steps in order to solve correctly. To Meno's surprise, the young boy understands the reasoning in steps and eventually finds the solution to the problem. Therefore, Socrates affirms that the young slave never had any learning experience in mathematics, yet he solved the geometrical problem. This makes it all clear that the young boy must have learnt ...