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A short summary of Plato's Meno. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of Meno.
Summary. Analysis. “Can you tell me, Socrates,” asks Meno without preamble, “can virtue be taught?”. He then asks if virtue is “the result of practice”—and therefore “not teachable”—or if it is perhaps an innate quality.
Plato wrote Meno about 385 BCE, placing the events about 402 BCE, when Socrates was 67 years old, and about three years before he was executed for corrupting Athenian youth. Meno was a young man who was described in historical records as treacherous, eager for wealth and supremely self-confident.
During their consideration of virtue as “a kind of knowledge,” Socrates and Meno determined that doing something that “benefits” the soul is virtuous. What’s more, they decided that in order to do something that “benefits” the soul, one must have an understanding—or knowledge of—what they are doing.
The best study guide to Meno on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
Meno leaves us hanging between defining virtue as straight knowledge or as a kind of mysterious wisdom revealed to us by the gods “without understanding.” It is seen as likely that most virtuous men are so by holding “right opinions” rather than true knowledge.
A summary of Meno in Plato's Selected Works of Plato. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Selected Works of Plato and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
