Recollection and Experience: Plato's Theory of Learning and its Successors

by Dominic Scott

This book is concerned chiefly with theories about learning in the history of philosophy, especially ancient philosophy. One of the main questions does our knowledge arise just out of experience or do we have some innate knowledge as well? The book is original in comparing different theories over a wide period in a way that should be accessible to students of philosophy and classics as well as professionals. It also has a section on seventeenth-century discussions of innate knowledge and their relation to ancient thought.

300 pages, Hardcover

First published August 17, 1995

Reviews

[Amy Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read the last couple of chapters on 17th century philosophy and the theories of innateness and learning considering my interest lies particularly with Plato and reception of Plato. I missed any discussion of the "Neoplatonists" here and also the appropriation of recollection, empiricism and theories of learning and innateness by the early Christians as well. This book was still very helpful on what it did discuss however, thinking about why Plato posited recollection and why Aristotle rebuffed it and then working through why the Stoics came out on the opposite end with dispositions and common sense.