Essay about Meno: Plato and Socrates

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1. The first part of Meno starts off with the initial question of virtue. This section shows that not even Socrates knows about virtue so the dialogue quickly switches to what is virtue. This fits into the next stage because Socrates begins to question Meno on what exactly is virtue. Meno continues to give incorrect answers to Socrates which leads into the next stage. In this stage Meno starts to get frustrated with Socrates continued questioning, so he begins to claim that Socrates is playing head games with him. Socrates states that the credit of one’s own ignorance is required in the search for and knowledge. This starts a new stage where Meno begins to think that Socrates has trapped himself with that comment. Meno thinks this is impossible because you cannot successfully search for what is lost if you do not know what you are looking for. Next Socrates questions the slave to show that Meno is wrong. In the end Socrates and Meno both do not answer the question about virtue but instead, the importance of knowledge. 2. Socrates first introduces his Theory of Recollection with a mythical tale to Meno. He does this to go off on the point that you can recollect things from past experiences instead of just this lifetime. This is a tale that priests would be telling because it is in the reincarnated subject. With just the questioning of the slave Meno may not have grasped that you can reincarnate things from previous lives. 3. The mini dialogue of Socrates and the slave very much relates to the dialogue between Socrates and Meno. One way that the dialogue relates is that it Socrates is always the one questioning his subject. The next way is that both Meno and the slave keep answering with incorrect answers which just leads to more questions from Socrates. The last way is it relates is that it ends with the slave and Meno learning something they did not know before. 4. After Socrates discusses the Theory of Recollection the dialogue between him and Meno changes. Meno asks Socrates to return to the original question whether virtue can be taught or it is acquired. But Socrates answers if virtue is knowledge then it can be taught. This leads to the dialogue to change from virtue to the importance of knowledge. 5. This quote by Anytus is ironic because he did indeed have his son highly educated. He stated that he would not let any of his people met a sophist. But having his son highly educated would mean that his son would have had to meet a sophist during his schooling. 6. Socrates decides to add this comment to show that virtue is not always decided on if your parents were virtuous. He introduces Themistocles to give an example of a virtuous man but his son Cleophantus has turned out less than perfect. A contemporary example would be Paris Hilton. Her father is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Hilton hotels.
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