more from Plato

Single Idea 2085

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 2. Justification Challenges / a. Agrippa's trilemma]

Full Idea

Either a syllable and its letters are equally knowable and expressible in a rational account, or they are both equally unknowable and inexpressible.

Gist of Idea

Parts and wholes are either equally knowable or equally unknowable

Source

Plato (Theaetetus [c.368 BCE], 205e)

Book Reference

Plato: 'Theaetetus', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [Penguin 1987], p.123


A Reaction

Presumably you could explain the syllable by the letters, but not vice versa, but he must mean that the explanation is worthless without the letters being explained too. So all explanation is worthless?