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Plato was an Athenian philosopher who lived in Ancient Greece, at the end of the 5th century BC and the beginning of the 4th century BC. He founded the prestigious Academy of Athens, the cradle of philosophical studies of his time and of later times. Other famous philosophers were also trained there, such as Aristotle, Speusippus, Xenocrates of Chalcedon, Crates of Triasio, Eudoxo of Cnidos, Heraclides Pontus, Emperor Julian, and Basil of Caesarea, among others.
Plato’s great influence was his teacher and mentor, the famous philosopher Socrates.
Plato’s ideas are included in the more than 30 dialogues and allegories of his authorship. Most of his works have been preserved intact and cover topics in politics, philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, psychology, anthropology, cosmogony, and other disciplines.
Plato’s most important works include: The Republic, Apology of Socrates, Meno, Crito , Protagoras , Thrasymachus , The Banquet , Phaedo , Sophists and Laws , among others.
Plato is credited with various philosophical theories, such as the “theory of forms” and the “theory of reminiscence.”
It is estimated that he passed away at the age of 80. Today, he is considered the father of modern Western philosophy.
About the work Meno
Meno or Virtue , is one of Plato’s dialogues, through which, and through the conversation between his characters, he reflects on the nature of virtue. It is a classic that addresses metaphysical and moral issues. It is estimated that Plato wrote it between the years 385 BC and 402 BC.
In Meno , four characters appear:
- Meno: a young man from Thessaly, a disciple of Gorgias, who thinks he knows what virtue is.
- Socrates: Plato’s philosopher and teacher, who refutes Meno’s arguments and guides him in his search for definitions.
- Ánito: a wealthy Athenian, who would later participate in the accusation against Socrates and his condemnation.
- Meno’s slave: which is part of Socrates’ demonstration to prove the relationship between belief and knowledge.
This work can be divided into four main parts:
- The definitions of “virtue”.
- The arguments that prove that knowledge is innate.
- The debate on whether virtue can be taught or not.
- The possible reasons for the non-existence of teachers who teach virtue.
Part One: The Definitions of Virtue
Meno’s dialogue begins by expressing an interesting question: can virtue be taught? Based on this approach, Socrates affirms that he does not know what virtue is and therefore does not know if it can be taught. Given this response, they begin a debate to define virtue.
In the course of the dialogue, the confusion and ignorance of Meno is evident, and the innate wisdom of the slave, who was supposedly ignorant and lacked any training.
In addition to presenting three definitions of virtue, Meno brings up other concepts about the soul, knowledge, and the ability to remember.
first definition
Meno’s first definition of virtue holds that it differs depending on the person in question, be it a man, a woman, a child or an old man. In this way, there would be different definitions of virtue, something counterproductive when it comes to creating a single concept.
[…] MENÓN: In the first place, if you want the virtue of man, it is easy to say that this consists in being able to manage the affairs of the State, and managing them, doing good to friends on the one hand, and bad, on the other. , to enemies, taking care of yourself that nothing of the latter happens to you. If you want, instead, the virtue of the woman, it is not difficult to answer that it is necessary for her to manage her house well, preserving what is inside her and being obedient to her husband. And another must be the virtue of the child, be it a man or a woman, and another that of the old man, free or slave, as you prefer. And there are many other virtues, so there is no problem in saying what virtue is. Indeed, according to each of our occupations and ages, in relation to each of our functions, virtue presents itself to us, In the same way that I believe, Socrates, vice also presents itself. […]
However, Socrates is not convinced by this definition and reminds Meno that all human beings have the same essence, and therefore, they can reach the same concept of virtue for all. Likewise, after this definition, in the dialogue it is established that virtue is formed by moderation and justice.
second definition
In Meno’s second definition, he affirms that virtue is the ability to govern others, that is, to be able to command or exercise power.
[…] MENÓN: Well, what else than being able to govern men? Since you are looking for something unique in all cases. […]
Socrates refutes this argument using the case of children and slaves as an example, who cannot command their parents or masters, respectively.
third definition
In the third definition of virtue, Meno maintains that it is the desire to possess beautiful or good things.
[…] MENÓN: Well, it seems to me, then, Socrates, that virtue consists, as the poet says, in «liking the beautiful and having power». And so I call this virtue: wanting beautiful things and being able to procure them. […]
In this case, Socrates suggests that people want the things they think are good, and these may or may not be. Therefore, a debate is opened about what would be good. Here again appears the possibility of defining virtue as the ability to procure things with justice and moderation.
Second part: the innate property of knowledge
In the second part of the Meno , the characters seek to understand if knowledge is, in fact, innate or not. Several important concepts emerge here:
- Meno’s paradox: suggests that we know something or not. If we have knowledge about something, we don’t need to investigate it further. But if it’s something we don’t know, we can’t ask, because we don’t know what we’re looking for and won’t recognize it if we find it.
- The immortality of the soul: the existence of the soul that carries out a process of accumulation of knowledge as it reincarnates in different lives.
- The definition of learning: a process of remembering what one already knows.
- The difference between belief and knowledge: through the demonstration of the slave, to whom Socrates poses a geometry problem. In it, the slave must double the area of a square. In the face of the slave’s failed attempts, the difference between believing that they know something and really knowing it is revealed.
reminiscence
In addition to these concepts, the concept of reminiscence is also introduced in this part of the dialogue. This term is defined as the ability to remember something. But Plato associates it with the possibility of remembering previous knowledge, accumulated in the immortal soul.
This theory of reminiscence states that all knowledge is innate and that we only need to remember it.
Part Three: The Teaching of Virtue
In the third part, the character of Ánico appears and the debate on whether or not virtue can be taught begins. Here arguments are presented that seek to support the idea that virtue is something good and beneficial, which is accompanied by prudence. According to these arguments, it is concluded that virtue can be taught.
However, Socrates questions these claims in the absence of teachers who teach virtue.
In addition, in this part of the Meno , Plato’s idea is reaffirmed that, somehow, virtue is knowledge.
Part Four: Why aren’t there teachers of virtue?
In this last part, the reasons why there are no teachers who teach virtue or how to be a virtuous person are discussed. Likewise, renowned Athenians such as Pericles, Themistocles and Aristides are given as examples, who, although they were good men and managed to teach their children some specific skills, did not teach them to be as virtuous as they were.
At the end of the Meno , a paradox about virtue is expressed. On the one hand, virtue can be taught because it is a type of knowledge. But on the other hand, there are no teachers of virtue, therefore it cannot be taught to others.
To explain that good men are virtuous, Plato, through Socrates’ dialogue, suggests that there is a divine component, which escapes the desire or intention of men.
Bibliography
- Plato. Dialogues II . (2016). Spain. Gredos.
- Fernández De La Cueva, M. Platón Menón, or virtue. (2012). Spain. LiveBook.
- Politzer, G. Elementary and Fundamental Principles of Philosophy. (2020, 2nd edition). Spain. Akal Editions.
