Why Knowledge Is More Valuable Than True Opinion

Plato is a famous philosopher who followed the ideas of Socrates, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. In Plato’s dialogue Meno, Socrates explores the difference between knowledge and true opinion, which is sometimes called true belief. At first, he suggests that both can guide us in making good decisions or taking the right action.

For example, if one person knows the way to a destination and another guesses it correctly, both will arrive at the same place. In this case, true opinion appears to be just as useful as knowledge.

Why Knowledge Is More Valuable

However, Socrates later makes an important distinction. He says that while true opinion can help, it is not stable. Opinions can change. They can be forgotten, influenced by others, or proven wrong. Knowledge, on the other hand, stays with us. It is based on understanding and reasoning. When you know why something is true, not just that it’s true, your belief becomes more reliable.

Socrates compares true opinion to statues that are not tied down. They might be beautiful and correct, but if they are not fixed, they can easily be lost. Knowledge is like tying those statues so they won’t move or disappear.

Final Thought

In the end, Socrates concludes that knowledge is more valuable than true opinion because it is stable, lasting, and based on understanding. While true opinion can be right, it’s not dependable unless we work to turn it into knowledge.

References

The Open University 2016, educational resource, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, viewed 4 July 2025.