Revelation and Knowledge in Socratic-Platonic Philosophy

In Plato’s dialogues, we find various “revelations” including Socrates’ customary divine voice or sign (i.e. his daimonion), his communication with divine realm through dreams and oracles, and the oracular and poetic divinations. Plato’s portrait of Socrates shows that Socratic revelations are monitions directing him according to divine wisdom throughout his life. However, his mantic powers do not make him cognizant of their epistemic source(s); thus, Socrates cannot remain independent of his philosophical way of searching knowledge. Furthermore, the prognostications of soothsayers and poets indicate their inspirations by the divinity; but they are not conscious of their prophecies, since they must enter an ecstatic and trancelike state before they become inspired. Through these prophetic predictions, people are forewarned in some important circumstances, but never partake of gods higher knowledge. Thus, in Socratic-Platonic view, there is a divine source for revelations and the human beings are led through them in the face of their problems; but none of the revelations bring the highest level of knowledge which the philosopher is looking for