Question:

While their focuses, methods, and conclusions varied greatly, those who came before Socrates, and Socrates and Plato, had one underlying question for which they were seeking a solution: what is the nature of knowledge (truth) and how do we attain it?

Answer first, in general, how did the Pre-Socratics (i.e., The Materialists, which excludes Pythagoras), and Socrates and Plato (you may include Pythagoras here) view: 1) the ultimate nature of reality, 2) how do we know it, and is knowledge apriori (within us at birth) or a posteriori (learned through experience)? How did they answer the question of the nature of permanence and change?

Then, second, after comparing and contrasting the Pre-Socratics and the ancients after them through Plato (there is overlap), what do believe the nature of reality to be? With which of these philosophers do you agree the most and why?

If you refer to information from the text, identify the location in parenthesis (MLA Intext Citation). In your replies, either support your fellow student's answers or kindly refute them. Analyze reasoning, point out strong or weak premises or reasons, as well as fallacies in your analysis. Philosophy is built upon successful written and spoken communication.