Meno

When a confident young man asks Socrates whether virtue can be taught, their conversation leads to one of philosophy’s most famous moments: Socrates guides an untutored slave boy to ‘discover’ a geometrical truth, arguing that learning is really the soul’s recollection of eternal knowledge. Compact and profound, the Meno introduces central Platonic ideas about knowledge, teaching, and the immortality of the soul. Elegant and accessible, it is one of the best entry points into Plato’s thought, blending sharp argument with a startling demonstration. A landmark dialogue on the nature of knowledge and virtue, the Meno poses questions about how we learn and what we truly know that still challenge philosophers today.