Plato, Diagrammatic Reasoning and Mental Models

This book analyses the role of diagrammatic reasoning in Plato's philosophy: the readers will realize that Plato, describing the stages of human cognitive development using a diagram, poses a logic problem to stimulate the general reasoning abilities of his readers. Following the examination of mental models in this book, the readers will reflect on what inferences can be useful to approach this kind of logic problem. Plato calls for a collaboration between writer and readers. In this book the readers will examine the connection between diagrams and discovery, realizing the important epistemic role of visualization. They will recognize the crucial role that diagrams play in problem solving. The logic problem elaborated by Plato is addressed considering the epistemic function of mental models. These models introduce to an advanced stage of cognitive development, in which reasoning uses in its investigations a higher-level of mathematical complexity, represented by structuralism.

Diagrammatic reasoning makes emerge Plato's cognitive stimulation of his readers Mental models challenge the logical competence of the readers, promoting the rational growth traced by Plato's word Structuralism points to a use of mathematics pertinent to an advanced stage of cognitive development

Autorentext

Susanna Saracco is a post-doctoral researcher, having received her PhD in philosophy from the University of Sydney, Australia. She is the author of the book Plato and Intellectual Development. Her pieces have been published, among others, in Plato Journal, Philosophia: Philosophical Quarterly of Israel and Metaphilosophy

Klappentext

This book analyses the role of diagrammatic reasoning in Platös philosophy: the readers will realize that Plato, describing the stages of human cognitive development using a diagram, poses a logic problem to stimulate the general reasoning abilities of his readers. Following the examination of mental models in this book, the readers will reflect on what inferences can be useful to approach this kind of logic problem. Plato calls for a collaboration between writer and readers. In this book the readers will examine the connection between diagrams and discovery, realizing the important epistemic role of visualization. They will recognize the crucial role that diagrams play in problem solving. The logic problem elaborated by Plato is addressed considering the epistemic function of mental models. These models introduce to an advanced stage of cognitive development, in which reasoning uses in its investigations a higher-level of mathematical complexity, represented by structuralism.

Inhalt
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction, - CHAPTER TWO: The Collaboration between Writer and Reader, - CHAPTER THREE: Visual Thinking, - CHAPTER FOUR: Diagrammatic Reasoning, - CHAPTER FIVE: Mental Models,-Chapter 6. Theoretical Adulthood and Structuralism

.