The discussion of geometry in Plato's Meno epitomizes how human beings are able to gain knowledge.
It is used to justify that knowledge is already present in human beings and there is only a need to stimulate in order to cultivate such. Such illustration is in line with the belief that the soul is immortal and knowledge in previous life is carried over to the new life a human being have. In a human being’s new life, he must cultivate such knowledge in order to remember them.
The belief that the soul is immortal in connection with the discussion of knowledge has a great sense of being a myth but it does not necessarily follow that we cannot derive a coherent philosophical sense from it. Going beyond its literal interpretation, we can obtain that knowledge can be brought about by cultivating our souls. Our souls entail our humanity, our being human. It is the very core of our beings. In the soul lies the very essence of our existence, the primordial reality of our existence that we ought to live. Such cultivation can be seen in the process of reflection where we, human beings, try to get answers regarding questions in our experiences. As most philosophers agree, via reflection, we can attain wisdom and knowledge. Truth can be brought about by the process of reflection. This kind of interpretation can be obtained from the Recollection Theory, a view that via the process of reflection that entails cultivating our souls, we can arrive to truth.
The Recollection Theory as being a myth does not entirely rule out its effectiveness of being a concrete explanation to a certain prominent philosophical view. It only suggests that philosophy is a very rich body of knowledge. Such richness entails that there are many methods in which philosophers used to preach and explain their philosophical views. Using a myth is an art that banners beauty in a philosophical discussion. It only encourages readers and students to go beyond what is obvious and what is apparent. Symbolisms and metaphors are only tools to facilitate critical thinking. Thus, the recollection theory as a myth does not rule out its being a good philosophical explanation, rather it is only an avenue for a great process of philosophical inquiry.
