Socrates Vs Meno

Both Meno and Socrates evidently seemed to have contrasting attitudes in regards to the concept of virtue, as seen in the opening section of the Meno dialogue.

Meno initiates the dialogue with Socrates by questioning whether or not Socrates knows what virtue is, specifically the way it is acquired by humans (Meno, 70a). However, Socrates does not give him a concrete answer, but rather a history of Thessaly (a blessed area), comparing it to Athens (a non-blessed area), in regards to wisdom (70a-71a). In Athens, nobody knows what virtue is or how it is obtained, including Socrates himself, when he says “I share the poverty of my fellow citizens in this matter.” (71a-71b). He tried to convince Meno of not knowing anybody in Athens who can answer the question of what virtue is (71b). Meno reacts to this by feeling a certain degree of disbelief, when he says, “...Socrates, do you really not know what virtue is? Are we to report this about you to the folks back home?” (71b-71c)

Meno’s attitude does not seem

It made Meno re-consider and thoroughly put lots of thought into answering the question of what is virtue as a whole. He compared Socrates to a stingray “both in appearance and other respects, since it too numbs whoever comes near and touches it.” (80a) He further admits to have his soul and mouth numb by Socrates, unable to provide the grand answer (80a). Ultimately, Meno seems to feel overwhelmed to Socrates’s persuasive statements and had his confidence drastically