>>23312824
So, just to straighten it out a little, anamnesis in the Republic doesn't have the special meanings it has in Meno, Phaedrus, and Phaedo, but in every case in the Republic, just means to recall or be reminded of something this-worldy; e.g., Cephalus uses it for the recalling of previous bodily experiences, and almost everywhere else it's used for recalling something from earlier in their conversation throughout the Republic.

As for knowledge via Recollection vs Learning, there are several passages in the Phaedrus that go together (249b-c, 265c, 273d-274a) where Recollection is initially described mythically, and then characterized a little differently later, and same in Meno (mythically with the slaveboy example from 79e-85b, differently at 97e-98a). The differences between the mythic and non-mythic explanations might be helpful. Reublic 518c-d is also helpful here, where learning is somewhat distinct from being taught, so the power is located in the individual's nature.

Re: the soul and its parts, the three parts of soul don't work like like the image of the cave, where you move beyond on to another level of understanding. All three parts, at least by the Republic, are always present, but with different degrees of control or mastery over the soul. By the Republic's teachings, both bronze and silver souls are in the cave and won't leave, and the gold are only *capable* of leaving, which doesn't guarantee they will.

The myth of Er isn't literally true, but is a reiteration of the whole Republic in a shorter form, up to the arguments about the happiness or well-being of the philosopher in book 9.

>>23312913
Thank you for the effort post anon.

>>23312824
Anamnesis — just break it down etymologically. An- = a negatory prefix, “without” or “not”. Amnesis = like amnesia (loss of memory). Anamnesis = recovery from our forgetfulness or amnesia.

Plato deduces that we as humans are able to conceive of transcendental concepts or ideas (Forms) which are not perfectly found in our world but reflected in some experience, acts, and physical artifacts. The Good, Justice, even mathematical concepts as of a perfect circle, a perfect triangle, etc. (which, in the real world, we can’t ever TRULY find — even if it’s only microns off, it’ll be slightly off when you zoom into the smallest levels of it).

As in Meno, he uses the example of guiding a slave boy to understand certain geometrical axioms and their necessary conclusions with diagrams and lecturing to him, notably in a question-and-answer form. E.g. leading him along to answer certain questions about geometry/math himself even while at first he seems uneducated and as if he wouldn’t be able to answer this. You can certainly critique the process and the conclusions Plato draws from it, but this is just summarizing Plato and trying to help answer your questions, not necessarily totally in agreement (nor totally in disagreement) with Plato personally. Anyway, he uses this demonstration to deduce that the slave boy somehow “had the answers already in him”, which were simply generated through a process of prodding, awakening, and questioning his intellect. So somehow, he has some capacity for higher reason and understanding of geometry and mathematics already him. Plato claims that this must mean it is like something like a deep latent (perhaps subconscious, to use an anachronistically modern term) memory or knowledge already in him of such concepts and truths. He extends this to the understanding of other abstract/transcendental concepts and ideas, further concluding that our very soul or consciousness has descended from a higher realm (of the Forms) into the material realm, undergoing a sort of amnesia or cleansing of memory (as with the legend of the waters of Lethe causing forgetfulness in souls before they reincarnate in the process of metempsychosis), but which can be recovered in our mortal life through, again, this process of “anamnesis” (the negation of amnesia, remembering or the regaining of memory).

It’s very fascinating that this concept arguably shows up somehow in many religious and mystical teachings, from the Greek mysteries and mystical paths like Orphism, Pythagoreanism, etc., to the Dharmic traditions, even in the Jewish Kabbalah (which holds a belief in multiple levels of reality and metempsychosis/the transmigration of the soul), even perhaps in some of Christian mysticism (or at least Gnosticism, unsurprising since Platonism/Neoplatonism/Hermeticism/Greek mysteries and spiritual paths had an influence on it) and Islam according some interpretations.

>>23314407
John 8:58
>Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
(The eternality of Christ’s soul, existing outside of/prior to space and time, in the heavenly realm or with the Father, God as Creator, then descending into this material matrix; Gnosticism extends this to say that, indeed, all human souls are also in this plight, analogous to Christ, all also able to say, “Before Abraham was, I am”, as we descended from the Pleroma, lit. the Fullness, corresponding to the transcendental noumenal realm, heavenly realm, or realm of the true God that could be likened to the realm of the Forms, before sparks from this pleroma were ‘trapped’ in material reality, forgetting their origins).

>Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.
(Quran 2:157, Surah al-Baqarah)
Some Muslim scholars, theologians, and mystics have taken this use of the word “return” to clearly imply our souls have already been one with Allah (God) before our material incarnations on Earth, that being the only way we could be said to “return” to Allah (if our souls were once already in a state of closeness to Him prior to space/time/the creation of the material universe).

There’s this same or similar core repeating idea throughout the world’s mysticism and theology of us somehow descending into material reality from transcendent origins, having forgotten these origins, but able to recover them, with that in fact being our goal in this life. As in the old Gnostic allegory of the quest for the Pearl (the Hymn of the Pearl).

https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/The%20Hymn%20of%20the%20Pearl.pdf

And I dressed in their dress,
that they might not hold me in abhorrence,
because I was come from abroad in order to take the pearl,
and arouse the serpent against me.
But in some way other or another
they found out that I was not their countryman,
and they dealt with me treacherously,
and gave their food to eat.
I forget that I was a son of kings,
and I served their king;
and I forgot the pearl,
for which my parents had sent me,
and because of the burden of their oppressions
I lay in a deep sleep.

>>23314407
Damn I'm dumber than a Greek slave boy. I've never understood math

>>23312824
The 3 tiers of metal should be taken literally:
>Gold: international rulers and traders, those who determine world events, divide & conquer, conspire, scheme. They buy cheap gold in East Asia to sell it for cheap Silver in Europe. After that (long after Plato died) they colonized America to loot all of its precious metals for further profit and power. In ancient times, only supranational/regional powers were allowed to make gold coins. For example, it was the ecxlusive right of the Pontifex Maximus to do so until the sacking of Constantinople in 1204.
>Silver: Vassals, Kings, local rulers. They enforce the local gold/silver ratios so the gold souls can profit from trade & conquest (which is why they are called guardians by Plato). They were forced to pay tribute and exchange silver for gold and vice versa with the gold souls.
>Bronze: moneys handled by societies just starting out with no silver/gold reserves and no right to silver or gold coinage, and commoners. Those who serve the higher tiers.

>>23314407

Like a lot in Plato, it's a beautiful idea, but basically retarded if you stop and think about it. In this case, his confusion arises from not distinguishing between potential and actual knowledge. We potentially know all things, but it is not necessary that we actually do know all things in some sort of hidden memory. Knowledge advances by experience with the world, and by the combination and separation of ideas in the intellect. No need for anamnesis or past lives. The experience of learning doesn't resemble recollection in any way.