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Single Idea 174

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / b. Need for justification ]

Full Idea

There is a state of mind half-way between wisdom and ignorance - having true opinions without being able to give reasons for them.

Gist of Idea

True opinion without reason is midway between wisdom and ignorance

Source

Plato (The Symposium [c.384 BCE], 202a)

Book Ref

Plato: 'The Symposium', ed/tr. Hamilton,W [Penguin 1951], p.80


A Reaction

Compare Idea 2140, where Plato scorns this state of mind. What he describes could be split into two - purely lucky true beliefs, and 'externalist knowledge', with non-conscious justification.

Related Idea

Idea 2140 True belief without knowledge is like blind people on the right road [Plato]


The 12 ideas with the same theme [why knowledge needs justification]:

As a guide to action, true opinion is as good as knowledge [Plato]
True belief without knowledge is like blind people on the right road [Plato]
True opinion without reason is midway between wisdom and ignorance [Plato]
An inadequate rational account would still not justify knowledge [Plato]
To know something we need understanding, which is grasp of the primary cause [Aristotle]
Fools, infants and madmen may speak truly, but do not know [Sext.Empiricus]
Believing without a reason may just be love of your own fantasies [Locke]
Justification is neither sufficient nor necessary for knowledge [Lewis]
What we want to know is - when is it all right to believe something? [Pollock]
If value is practical, knowledge is no better than true opinion [Greco]
Many philosophers rate justification as a more important concept than knowledge [Bird]
If knowledge is unanalysable, that makes justification more important [Dougherty/Rysiew]