Scan barcode
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
The dialogue goes into very meaning of virtue, and reaches conclusions opposite to that Socrates reached in Protagoras.
Meno Paradox
The dialogue begins with Socrates refuting definations of virtue provided by Meno.
When both Meno and Socrates declare ignorance on subject, Socrates say they must search it through argument. Meno then proffers a paradox: "And how will you inquire into a thing when you are wholly ignorant of what it is? Even if you happen to bump right into it, how will you know it is the thing you didn't know?" Socrates rephrases the question, which has come to be the canonical statement of the paradox: "[A] man cannot search either for what he knows or for what he does not know. He cannot search for what he knows--since he knows it, there is no need to search--nor for what he does not know, for he does not know what to look for."
*
Socrates' answer
Socrates proves by using a brilliant demonstration with a slave, that:
1. Knowledge is not learnt but remembered. Socrates gives a superstitious explanation involving souls. We may not believe the mythic explanation, but we can't reject the truth of observation. This observation answers Meno's paradox. It also nodes to eternal truths.
2. That one who knows of his ignorance is better than he who doesn't know about his ignorance (the usual 'I am the wisest because i know I know nothing' business.) Socrates makes use of simile originally brought up by Meno, to call the act of becoming aware of one's ignorance a torpedo shock - which Meno agrees is a good thing.
3. There is a difference between Knowledge and right opinion. Socrates argues through use of metaphor, that with out knowledge to bind them, the opinions are likely to run away.
*
Having established these observations, Socrates brings following points about virtue:
(a) Virtue can not be taught. (opposite to what Socrates concluded in Protagoras) Socrates reasons that virtuous men are not able to teach other the virtues they hold, so it should be something which can't be taught.
(b) Virtue is not knowledge Since all knowledge can be taught and virtue can not. Again opposite to what Socrates concluded in Protagoras.
(c) Virtue is mere good instinct arising out right opinions Since virtue is either knowledge or right opinion and we have already rejected the first option in (b.) above.
*
As our bad luck would have it, dialogue ends here. Socrates doesn't go into details of how these 'right opinions' arise. The contradiction between Protagoras and Meno, can be clarified by changing the word knowledge in Protagoras's conclusion with words 'right opinions' (and thus rejecting the second conclusion from Protagoras' that virtue can be taught.)
Meno Paradox
The dialogue begins with Socrates refuting definations of virtue provided by Meno.
When both Meno and Socrates declare ignorance on subject, Socrates say they must search it through argument. Meno then proffers a paradox: "And how will you inquire into a thing when you are wholly ignorant of what it is? Even if you happen to bump right into it, how will you know it is the thing you didn't know?" Socrates rephrases the question, which has come to be the canonical statement of the paradox: "[A] man cannot search either for what he knows or for what he does not know. He cannot search for what he knows--since he knows it, there is no need to search--nor for what he does not know, for he does not know what to look for."
*
Socrates' answer
Socrates proves by using a brilliant demonstration with a slave, that:
1. Knowledge is not learnt but remembered. Socrates gives a superstitious explanation involving souls. We may not believe the mythic explanation, but we can't reject the truth of observation. This observation answers Meno's paradox. It also nodes to eternal truths.
2. That one who knows of his ignorance is better than he who doesn't know about his ignorance (the usual 'I am the wisest because i know I know nothing' business.) Socrates makes use of simile originally brought up by Meno, to call the act of becoming aware of one's ignorance a torpedo shock - which Meno agrees is a good thing.
3. There is a difference between Knowledge and right opinion. Socrates argues through use of metaphor, that with out knowledge to bind them, the opinions are likely to run away.
*
Having established these observations, Socrates brings following points about virtue:
(a) Virtue can not be taught. (opposite to what Socrates concluded in Protagoras) Socrates reasons that virtuous men are not able to teach other the virtues they hold, so it should be something which can't be taught.
(b) Virtue is not knowledge Since all knowledge can be taught and virtue can not. Again opposite to what Socrates concluded in Protagoras.
(c) Virtue is mere good instinct arising out right opinions Since virtue is either knowledge or right opinion and we have already rejected the first option in (b.) above.
*
As our bad luck would have it, dialogue ends here. Socrates doesn't go into details of how these 'right opinions' arise. The contradiction between Protagoras and Meno, can be clarified by changing the word knowledge in Protagoras's conclusion with words 'right opinions' (and thus rejecting the second conclusion from Protagoras' that virtue can be taught.)
megit2's review against another edition
5.0
ხანდახან ძალიან ბედნიერი ვარ, რომ იქ ვსწავლობ, სადაც ვსწავლობ.
samariarsloane's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
egadams's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes the best part about reading old books is the funny ways in which the characters insult each other. In the case of "Meno," Socrates is accused of being a torpid torpedo fish.