Difference Between Meno And Socrates

Socrates is a philosopher known for his wisdom, and in the case of Meno, a dialogue between Meno and Socrates; he examines what it is to have virtue and the difference between opinion and knowledge. According to Socrates, the difference between the two subjects, knowledge and opinion, is their stability to be questioned and disputed. He demonstrated this with an analogy of a statue that is well grounded and is more secure that one that is not relating to knowledge vs. opinion.

To explain this in a way not using his analogy, in terms of opinion, one never is fully aware if their beliefs and opinions are precisely true. They can be shifted, changed completely or even be irrelevant. There is no way to test whether someone’s opinion is true or

holds any validity. Knowledge on the other hand, is maintained through a claim or fact about something. And with that claim, it is backed up through evidence, explanations and other justifications on the matter.
My own analogy of the two subjects is the foundation of a house. When it is properly built and put together with the right materials, it has the ability to weather a storm. When different materials are used, such as scattered rock, the house is at a huge disadvantage and will most likely be destroyed. Both material can come from the same rock but how it is built depends on how long it can last. With the right knowledge you have the ability to withstand certain circumstances even when faced with a problem or uncertainty. Opinion however, is merely built on ones idea and when in the path of something much stronger can be dismantled quickly.
While Socrates argues many points on knowledge and opinion throughout the text, I have difficulty deciding what side of the argument I am actually one. In some circumstances I do find knowledge to be stronger than an opinion. In other circumstances, the emotional component of an opinion can be more persuasive. However in relation to virtue, I believe it is a combination of both, along with innate information processed before birth. In terms of my opinion on the differences between knowledge and opinion I see it more as relative to certain situations and understanding. While knowledge is mostly based off facts and evidence, there are many people who in fact are not knowledgeable and rather use certain aspects of knowledge to persuade based on their own personal agenda. As knowledge is more fundamentally stable than a single persons opinion, I find it no more important. While opinions can be switched and malleable, there are some instances where they are stone cold. A subject that could be argued between knowledge and opinion could to the reference of the bible; many Christians view the bible as a book of evident knowledge and facts while others view it as a certain group’s beliefs on the subject.
More specifically, I agree with Socrates on his stance of knowledge being better than true opinion because of the common socitatal stance that, the more knowledge someone has, the more reliable they are in making decisions. We assume that people who have more factual information on a subject are trustworthy and dependable, and tend to focus less on their virtuous aspects. The United States government is a great example of this. We believe that because of their knowledge, power and accomplishments that they make the right decisions for the people.
We also admire individuals with higher knowledge than ourselves, believing that because of this knowledge they are virtuous individuals.

To prove these statements, we can examine each other and our relation to our government and the people we look up to in society. More other than not, we will admire a prestigious scholar rather than a homeless man. As the United States, we are hardly suffering as a country, however it is naïve of us to assume wealth of information will automatically be used to make just and virtuous decisions on our behalf.

This is where I disagree with Socrates argument that knowledge is better than true opinion. Opinions might not be the best way to base a factual argument but they carry an emotional component, combined with passion and faith that give a significant weight to their claim. While factual information is important in developing an idea, the opinion is what drives the action to bring about change.

In regards to both knowledge and opinion together, one cannot maintain life without the other. It is not until knowledge and opinion come together that virtue fully evolves. In the end I can draw as much as a concrete conclusion as Socrates did himself. The nature of virtue combined with knowledge and opinion is destined to remain at least in part a mystery of the human

subconscious.