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The Nature of the Virtue in the Meno

The Meno is among Plato’s early dialogues. Meno starts the dialogue by questioning Socrates on whether virtue can be taught (Meno 70a). Socrates says that he is unable to answer Meno’s question since he is not aware what virtue is. Plato’s Meno is often considered one of his most significant and influential works. In his piece of writing, Plato extensively explores several philosophical issues, such as what constitutes a virtue. He addresses whether virtue is something that can be learned or is innate. This essay discusses the nature of virtue in the memo. Specifically, it presents Meno’s definitions of virtue along with their objection. It also defines whether or not virtue is teachable.

Meno defines the term virtue in three ways. In his first definition, Meno states that virtue can only be defined relative to the kind of person in question. Here, he means that the definition of virtue varies in different groups of people. He gives an example of virtue when it comes to a woman and explains that a woman’s virtue is to be good at managing a home and being submissive to her husband. He also explains that a soldier’s virtue is to be brave in battle and skilled at fighting. Meno further pinpoints different examples of virtuous conduct for other groups, such as men. He states, “If you want the virtue of a man, it is easy to say that a man’s virtue consists of being able to manage public affairs” (Meno 71e). In Meno’s view, there exists a virtue for each action, event, and age. Socrates disagrees with Meno’s definition of virtue, claiming that the philosopher has just provided several examples of it. According to Socrates, there must be something they all have in common, the reason why they are considered virtues. He also argues that a good concept definition pinpoints the core characteristic that unites all other ideas.

In his second definition, Meno defines virtue as the capacity to rule men. In his definition, he states, “What else but to be able to rule over people, if you are seeking one description to fit them all” (Meno 73d). The second definition of virtue that Meno gives is odd. However, the term may be defined in more detail for better comprehension. The accomplishment of a goal is what virtue aspires to. Happiness is the ultimate goal of every human being. Many various kinds of pleasures may contribute to one’s happiness. To fulfill one’s desire to rule over men, one must first satisfy one’s need for pleasure. In other words, gaining virtue is much easier when you’re in charge of other people. Socrates still does not agree with Meno’s second definition of virtue. He argues that the capacity to dominate men is only beneficial if the rule is fair. He further explains that justice is only of the virtues. Socrates argues that when it comes to morality, Meno identifies it with one particular virtue. Using an example, Socrates explains what he means, where he explains that there is no way to describe the idea of “shape” by referring to rectangles, circles, or triangles since they all have the same defining characteristic, which is their shape. According to Socrates, an accurate definition of shape would be something that is bounded by color.

Meno’s third definition of virtue is the capacity to acquire fine and beautiful things. According to Meno, power assists in attaining the capacity to get fine and beautiful. Socrates disagrees with Meno’s third definition of virtue, claiming that everyone wants what they believe to be good. Having differing ability to attain what they believe to be good might explain why individuals have diverse virtues. This may be done in a good or negative manner to fulfill one’s needs. Meno agrees with Socrates, explaining that such capability is only considered a virtue if exercised virtuously. Here, Meno goes right into the notion of the term he is trying to define.

Without a successful definition of virtue, Meno challenges Socrates to return to the fundamental issue of whether or not it is feasible to teach virtue. As Socrates explains, virtue may be taught, and he outlines his argument. According to him, having virtue is a wonderful thing to have. He further explains that good things can only be considered good if they are accompanied by a pearl of specific wisdom or knowledge. As such, virtue can be considered a good form of knowledge. Therefore, it is possible to teach virtue since knowledge is also teachable. This argument is riddled with inconsistencies and is not entirely convincing. The idea that for every good thing to be considered beneficial, it must be accompanied by wisdom does not imply that wisdom and virtue are the same. Definitions appear to focus on virtue as a certain form of knowledge. Here, knowledge refers to a person’s ability to determine what is best for them (Weiner 15). Any person who knows what is best for them is virtuous because they know how to live a good life and can identify the best paths to happiness.

Overall, in Meno’s first definition of virtue, he explains that virtue can only be defined relative to the kind of person and provides examples of virtuous groups of people. Socrates disagrees with this definition, claiming that Meno only gives examples of virtue. Secondly, Meno defines virtue as the capability to rule men. Socrates still refutes this definition. Meno also defines virtue as the capacity to acquire fine and beautiful things. This definition is refuted by Socrates, who argues that everyone wants what they believe to be good. He further explains that having the different capacities to attain what they believe to be good explains why individuals have diverse virtues. According to Socrates, this may be done in a good or negative manner to fulfill one’s needs. Meno, who agrees with Socrates, explains that such ability is only considered a virtue if exercised virtuously. The conversation comes to an end without a clear definition of virtue. Virtue is categorized as a special kind of wisdom or knowledge. However, the kind of knowledge that is required has not been stated. It is clear that virtue can be taught. However, no one has the theoretical knowledge to do so.

Works Cited

Grube, George Maximilian Anthony, and John M. Cooper. Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. Hackett Publishing, 2002.

Weiner, Ariel. “Knowledge and True Opinion in Plato’s Meno.” Pseudo-Dionysius 17 (2015).