The Meno by Plato. - HTML preview

37

Meno

MENO: Yes, I should; and I believe that I under-imperatives: like all beauties when they are in stand your meaning.

their prime, you are tyrannical; and also, as I SOCRATES: And you would speak of a surface and suspect, you have found out that I have weak-also of a solid, as for example in geometry.

ness for the fair, and therefore to humour you I MENO: Yes.

must answer.

SOCRATES: Well then, you are now in a condi-MENO: Please do.

tion to understand my definition of figure. I de-SOCRATES: Would you like me to answer you af-fine figure to be that in which the solid ends; or, ter the manner of Gorgias, which is familiar to more concisely, the limit of solid.

you?

MENO: And now, Socrates, what is colour?

MENO: I should like nothing better.

SOCRATES: You are outrageous, Meno, in thus SOCRATES: Do not he and you and Empedocles plaguing a poor old man to give you an answer, say that there are certain effluences of existence?

when you will not take the trouble of remember-MENO: Certainly.

ing what is Gorgias’ definition of virtue.

SOCRATES: And passages into which and through MENO: When you have told me what I ask, I will which the effluences pass?

tell you, Socrates.

MENO: Exactly.

SOCRATES: A man who was blindfolded has only SOCRATES: And some of the effluences fit into to hear you talking, and he would know that you the passages, and some of them are too small or are a fair creature and have still many lovers.

too large?

MENO: Why do you think so?

MENO: True.

SOCRATES: Why, because you always speak in SOCRATES: And there is such a thing as sight?