 In its most basic form, learning is perceptual classification  Perceptual classification involves judging or believing that an observed object, x, falls within the class, category, type, kind or species, F  e.g. This is a dog!  e.g. That is a cat! 1

 To classify x as F, one must first know what an F is  e.g. to classify something as a dog or cat, one must first know what a dog or cat is  To know what an F is (the Form of F), one must have knowledge of what is Universal and Essential to being an F.  e.g. knowing what a dog or cat is requires knowing what is characteristic of and necessarily common to all dogs or cats  Knowledge of what is Universal and Essential requires knowledge of objectively true definitions that represent Forms 2

 Perception is limited to observation of particular physical objects at particular times in particular places  E.g. a particular dog, Fido, now here  E.g. particular cat, Felix, now there  So, perception cannot convey what is universal or essential  Perception is of or about physical individual objects  Perception is not of or about definitions or forms  So, perception (alone) cannot represent what is universal and necessary 3

 Hence, one cannot learn through perception alone the definitions of forms that are prerequisites for classifying observed objects  If prior to any perceptual experience you already know the definition or form of being a dog or being a cat, then  you might subsequently perceive a particular thing as a dog or as a cat  But without this prior innate knowledge of the forms you cannot learn anything in perception about particular objects.  Thus, learning through perceptual experience presupposes prior innate knowledge that does not itself depend upon perceptual experience.  Hence, a posterior knowledge presupposes innate a prior knowledge 4

 To learn that observed Fido is a dog, you must recognize Fido as a dog  All recognition is really pattern matching  Fido looks like a dog!  Pattern matching presupposes prior innate knowledge of basic patterns  Basic Patterns are Forms  Hence, learning presupposes innate knowledge of Forms  Hence, all recognition is really recollection or reminiscence of forms  Hence, recognition is really re-cognition 5

 Just an example of innate knowledge  By initial hypothesis: the slave boy has not previously learned any geometry  Yet, he marvelously states a difficult theorem of geometry known to only those well informed about geometry  Notice that Socrates only asks (leading) questions  Does the example demonstrate that the boy’s marvelous ability to recognize a theorem of geometry must be the result of his innate knowledge of geometry, i.e. the forms? 6