Meno.
Socrates, Meno.
Men. By all means.
Soc. And then you will tell me about virtue? Socrates,
Men. I will.
Soc. Then I must do my best, for there is a prize to be won.
Men. Certainly.
Figure is defined by Socrates to be that which always follows colour. Soc. Well, I will try and explain to you what figure is.What do you say to this answer?—Figure is the only thing which always follows colour. Will you be satisfied with it, as I am sure that I should be, if you would let me have a similar definition of virtue?
Men. But, Socrates, it is such a simple answer.
Soc. Why simple?
Men. Because, according to you, figure is that which always follows colour.
(Soc. Granted).
Men. But if a person were to say that he does not know what colour is, any more than what figure is—what sort of answer would you have given him?
Soc. I should have told him the truth. And if he were a philosopher of the eristic and antagonistic sort, I should say to him: You have my answer, and if I am wrong, your business is to take up the argument and refute me. But if we were friends, and were talking as you and I are now, I should reply in a milder strain and more in the dialectician's vein; that is to say, I should not only speak the truth, but I should make use of premisses which the person interrogated would be willing to admit. And this is the way in which I shall endeavour to approach you. You will acknowledge, will you not, that there is such a thing as an end, or termination, or extremity?—all which words I use in the same sense, although I am aware that Prodicus might draw distinctions about them: but still you, I am sure, would speak of a thing as ended or terminated—that is all which I am saying—not anything very difficult.
Men. Yes, I should; and I believe that I understand your meaning.
76 Soc. And you would speak of a surface and also of a solid, as for example in geometry.
Men. Yes.
Soc. Well then, you are now in a condition to understand