Meno’s Dilemma

How can we truly learn something new? More than two thousand years ago, Plato examined this problem in a dialogue between Socrates and an interlocutor named Meno. The philosopher encounters a paradox: For any question, either we already know the answer at some level, in which case we are not truly learning, or we do not know it at all, in which case we would be unable to recognize the true answer. Today, as we struggle with assessing basic facts in the face of information overload and endless misinformation—compounded by the hallucinations and misrepresentations of artificial intelligence—Meno’s dilemma has become more urgent than ever.

George G. Szpiro offers a philosophically informed guide to filtering facts and finding the truth in a time of technologically enabled falsehood. He shows readers how to advance from simply gathering information to acquiring knowledge and ultimately attaining wisdom, considering the many hurdles that must be overcome along the way. Szpiro presents an accessible account of epistemology, grounded in real-world examples of how to verify and vet widely circulating claims. He explores how to cultivate the practices of epistemic vigilance that keep our understanding of the world open-minded and founded in reality. Wide-ranging and inviting, Meno’s Dilemma is an essential book for anyone striving to keep critical thinking alive in the digital era.