The Meno
In the Meno, a philosopher named Meno who is curious as to what virtue is approaches Socrates for an answer. Through dialogue, Socrates and Meno search for a definition of what it means to be virtuous and ultimately what virtue is. However, before one can begin to undertake this task, some important distinctions must be made, especially the difference between something that is “real” and something that is “famous” for all of the characters in the dialogue. Gorgias is a “famous” philosopher, while he is smart, he is known for his speeches, not for his logic and wisdom, he travels speaking at various cities, hoping to add “fame” to his name, however, his knowledge remains static. Socrates, however, is a “real” philosopher. He is not motivated by fame or popularity, but rather the quest for knowledge. Yet due to his immense knowledge, it draws to him a certain degree of fame as well. Plato, while hidden, is a “real” philosopher. Learning under the cautious eye of Socrates, Plato has come to master the Socratic dialogue as well as reason and logic. The finial character in this dialogue is Meno, who takes on the role of a “poseur” philosopher, where he believes that by hearing Gorgias speak, he too possesses the same knowledge.
Throughout the dialogue, Meno presents several definitions as to what virtue is, but they are all inherently flawed. His first definition is that, “Virtue is men being men and women being women.” However the are four downfalls of this first definition. It is a “famous” definition, or based simply on social standards, paying no attention to logic or reason. Secondly, it assumes differences that haven’t been verified in that it carries a misogynistic undertone. Also within this definition, it places Meno at the top, essentially claiming that he is one of the most virtuous beings. The finial nail in the coffin for definition one is that there is no pattern to his definition; it entails total relativism making virtue different for...