Meno by Plato (371)
The dialogue revolves around the nature of knowledge and reality. Socrates engages with Meno's slave boy to demonstrate that knowledge can be acquired through questioning and recollection. The boy is able to arrive at mathematical concepts through a process of questioning, suggesting that knowledge is not innate but rather something that can be learned.
By Plato · First published 371 · Genre: Philosophy, Socratic Dialogue, Educational · 21,655 words
First lines
Persons of the dialogue: Meno Socrates A Slave of Meno (Boy) Anytus
Meno: Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is acquired by teaching or by practice; or if neither by teaching nor by practice, then whether it comes to man by nature, or in what other way?
What this Textopian page supports
Meno is listed on Textopian as an essay by Plato, dated 371 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Plato
- Date: 371 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophy, Socratic Dialogue, Educational, Metaphysics, Ethics
- Length: 21,655 words
- Structure: 1 section, 579 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Meno by Plato
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Meno?
- How does this essay by Plato fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Philosophy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Sophist by Plato
- Theaetetus by Plato
- Euthydemus by Plato
- Laches by Plato
- Protagoras by Plato
- Gorgias by Plato
Genres
- Philosophy — The text explores fundamental questions about virtue, knowledge, and the nature of learning.
- Socratic Dialogue — The work is structured as a dialogue featuring Socratic questioning to stimulate critical thinking.
- Educational — It addresses methods of teaching and the process of acquiring knowledge.
- Metaphysics — The discussion touches on the nature of reality and existence, particularly regarding knowledge and virtue.
Tags
Philosophy · Socratic Method · Knowledge · Reality · Appearance · Truth · Illusion · Meno's Paradox · Recollection Theory · Education · Learning · Memory