Meno (/ˈmiːnoʊ/; Greek: Mένων, Menōn; c. 423 – c. 400 BC), son of Alexidemus, was an
ancient Thessalian political figure
. Probably from Pharsalus, he is famous both for the eponymous dialogue written by Plato and his role as one of the generals leading different contingents of Greek mercenaries in Xenophon's Anabasis.
Does Socrates agree with Meno?
Socrates' response: Given the meaning of arete, Meno's answer is quite understandable. But
Socrates rejects it
. He argues that when Meno points to several things as instances of virtue, there must be something they all have in common, which is why they are all called virtues.
Is Meno a person?
Meno, a prominent
Thessalian
who is visiting Athens, is a member of this class. Meno's semi-foreign status aids Socrates (and Plato) in the dialogue, allowing for eyewitness accounts that Socrates himself could not give.
Was euthyphro a real person?
Euthyphro of Prospalta (/ˈjuːθɪfroʊ/; Ancient Greek: Εὐθύφρων Προσπάλτιος; fl. 400 BCE) was an
ancient Athenian religious prophet
(mantis) best known for his role in his eponymous dialogue written by the philosopher Plato.
Is Meno real?
The Meno is a philosophical fiction,
based on real people who took part in important historical events
. Plato wrote it probably about 385 B.C.E., and placed it dramatically in 402 B.C.E. Socrates was then about sixty-seven years old, and had long been famous for his difficult questions about virtue and knowledge.
What is the point of Plato's Meno?
Plato would say that a belief that is held subject to revision is not truly knowledge. The point of the Meno paradox is
to ask how we can know when a correct definition has been proposed
. Socrates proposes to resolve the dilemma by appealing to religious authorities who teach immortality and reincarnation.
What is the Meno problem?
Near the end of the dialogue, Meno poses another famous puzzle, called “The Meno Problem” or “
The Value Problem for Knowledge
,” which questions why knowledge is valued more highly than true belief. In response, Socrates provides a famous and somewhat enigmatic distinction between knowledge and true belief.
What does Meno say about virtue?
In return for these definitions, Meno makes a fourth attempt at defining virtue: using a literary quote (in true Sophist style), he says that virtue is
“to desire beautiful things and and have the power to acquire them
.” Like his idea about virtue as the power to rule, however, this definition is quickly broken down by …
How does the Meno end?
The Meno ends
as Socrates bids his interlocutors farewell
, reminding them once more that they must seek to know what virtue is (and, according to him, they'd be the first to truly know) before finding out how it comes to be in men. Departing, Socrates tells Meno to teach Anytus what he has learned today.
Why does Meno have difficulty defining virtue?
Socrates explains to Meno that he has only provided examples of virtues, instead of describing the nature of virtue itself. … Meno seems to be having a hard time understanding what Socrates is looking for, so Socrates
uses some analogies to make it clearer
. He gives Meno definitions of shape (76a) and color (76d).
What did Socrates say about virtue?
According to Socrates,
“Virtue is knowledge”
because through virtue you can live your life in the best possible manner.
What kind of question is Meno asking?
The Meno is probably one of Plato's earliest dialogues, with the conversation dateable to about 402 BCE. The dialogue begins with Meno asking
Socrates whether virtue can be taught
, and this question (along with the more fundamental question of what virtue is) occupies the two men for the entirety of the text.
What animal does Meno compare Socrates to and why?
Meno compares Socrates to
a torpedo fish
, which numbs anything it touches.
Why is Socrates not satisfied with defining piety as what all the gods love?
Socrates is not satisfied with this definition because
it does not address a fundamental question
: it does not explain why things are pious or not pious—it says everything is pious is something loved by all the gods, but it doesn't answer question of what MAKES something pious or what the essence of being pious is…
How do you solve the euthyphro dilemma?
One possible response to the Euthyphro Dilemma is to simply
accept that if God does command cruelty, then inflicting it upon others would be morally obligatory
.
What is the main point of Euthyphro?
Euthyphro suggests that
what is holy is what is agreeable to the gods
, in response to which Socrates points out that the gods often quarrel, so what is agreeable to one might not be agreeable to all.
