On The Origins Of Virtue: Plato’s Meno Dialogue Essay Examples

The methods that people use to acquire knowledge about virtue forms the base from which the “Meno” discussions emerge. Evidently, all human civilizations need virtue for their survival, making the ability to discern between rights and wrong a significant factor in the delicate thread that intertwines societies. Thus said, it is no wonder that the ensuing passages recording Socrates’ counterarguments in “Meno” have spurred debates on the implications and validity of his reasoning. Nonetheless, the discussion revolves around two major themes that seek to explain not only the nature of virtue, but also the means through which humanity manages to capture and retain acquired virtue knowledge for future use. After investigations, the two theorists decide to render virtue “neither an inborn quality nor taught but comes to those who possess it as a gift from the gods” (Plato 92). This paper seeks to present the significant arguments in “Meno” and analyze the premises through which the men reach their conclusion on virtue knowledge being a divine gift.
Meno - “How will you look for it Socrates, when you do not know at all what it is?” (Plato 70). Meno reckons that people need to know the traits of a given phenomenon before they can define its features. In the case of virtue, a person has to have an initial comprehension of the concept before proceeding to determine what a virtuous behavior entails. In other words, an individual cannot recognize a given situation as right or wrong unless they have previously used the qualities to render judgment. Using colors to explain the given ideology, one can point out that a person cannot recognize a shade of yellow if it is their first time to see it, making Meno’s views plausible. However, Socrates refutes such grounds by stating that a blindfolded person can tell that Meno is both “handsome and still have lovers” (Plato 65). Given the argument, although weak, Socrates' idea relies upon some of the human's sensory perceptions to make correct first-time decisions. To strengthen his views, the philosopher explains the qualities of virtue by applying its traits to human societies and their leaders. Evidently, Socrates’ analysis is the result of Meno’s inability to provide a concrete definition of virtue warranting the need for further analysis of the term. Hence, after Meno classifies virtues using societal expectations about how men, women and children behave, Socrates points out the ineligibility of such understandings in consideration of social order (Plato 61). According to the philosopher, without universal virtue to guide the people, respect, and proper governance will be nonexistent. A good illustration is clear when without justice and prudence to guide societies; a slave can defy his or her master without any retribution (Plato 62). As a result, for morality to make sense, it cannot change meaning regardless of the age or gender of the people involved. Consequently, for virtue to have an effect on a given population, the people need to have knowledge about justice and prudence as parts of virtue with no room for exceptions.
Meno’s question entails three premises that garner his responses and attitude towards Socrates’ reasoning. Foremost, by knowing what one is looking for then trying to carry out an inquiry on the subject matter will be redundant if not unnecessary. Already, a definition will exist and attempting to analyze it will prove pointless because nobody will want to adopt a new understanding. Secondly, it is impossible to investigate a phenomenon if nobody knows what to look for or what to expect. If a person uses Socrates’ argument that goodness “is a virtue” not “virtue itself”, then a voice is a mere trait in defining handsome features (Plato 63). Hence, handsomeness is not definite to the voice of eloquence of speech but is instead, a quality that encompasses multiple factors. Therefore, Meno’s poses two outcomes; searching for virtue when one does not know its definition is pointless, and it is impossible to find a definite answer to the definition of virtue. However, despite there being no right responses to the origin of virtue, societies depict standards that determine the morality of actions. Thus emerges the idea that people have memories from previous lives.
Apparently, people possess a “recollection of objects known before birth” (Plato 94) because Socrates believes “the human soul is immortal” and can retain knowledge gained from past lives (Plato 71). Consequently, a person can easily discern between right and wrong using the renewed soul as a blueprint for virtuous behavior. On that note, the arguments mentioned above stand for the possibility of people being virtuous without knowing the meaning of the word. In addition, Socrates argues that rather than taking lessons, people merely need a reminder about virtue to trigger their prior knowledge of the subject. In Socrates’ views, even without previous instructions, a person can remember having knowledge on a given subject through answering questions hinting towards the right answer. A good instance is the slave boy and the mathematics problem, where although he is wrong the first time, he gets the answer right after answering Socrates’ hinting questions. Consequently, the “Meno” argument presents its chief concern to be the difference between knowledge and true opinion. In Socrates’ views, correct opinion exists when people recognize something as true and stand by it no matter what happens. On that note, the whole process of seeing truth, knowing it as so and making the decision to stand by it require knowledge.
In Socrates’ views, he believes he has explained and proven that humans have instinctive behaviors from birth, imprinted in their souls and minds. In other words, beliefs exist in the mind without people noticing that they possess them but will be able to retrieve them whenever a need arises. In addition, all humans can call on their natural instincts that will help them make sense of any given situation regardless of their complexity. Therefore, in the case of Meno’s handsomeness, people know that attractive individuals are confident and possess eloquent speech. Thus, instinct encourages an image of a handsome Meno to the blindfolded person although he is incapable of conjuring an accurate face for the sheer lack of knowledge about the man. Hence, despite lacking the ability to explain it, people can recognize virtuous behavior and actions. Although the given example explains Socrates’ views, it also raises doubts on the idea of recollection. The fact that the blindfolded person cannot “recall” Meno’s face shows how the memory theory is baseless and thoroughly flawed. On one hand, how will the soul recollect facts without having gained knowledge in the first place even in previous lives? To answer the posed question, one goes back to the Meno’s original question, although it will entail teaching. Evidently, the same way a person cannot look for something without knowing what it is, they cannot teach on virtue before determining what it entails. For this reason, Plato’s documentation on the theory of recollection in “Meno” cannot identify the origins of virtue knowledge.
Conclusively, just because Socrates fails to provide a significant answer to the existence of virtue, it does not mean that societies are not moral. On the contrary, morality forms the basis for laws and conducts that guide civilizations. Therefore, a query emerges on how human beings know what is right and what is wrong. The quote on virtue being “neither an inborn quality nor taught but comes to those who possess it as a gift from the gods” answers the question by avoiding all the given premises (Plato 92). For instance, after having skinned their knee, a person will choose to help others when they fall because they have an idea of what pain they are facing. That is kindness as a virtue because of knowledge gained from experience. At the same time, the given illustration shows human beings can retain new concepts and utilize them in the future. Because nobody can claim to have created a brain, it is safer to give dues to a higher power.

References

Plato. Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. Ed. John M. Cooper. Trans. G. M. A. Grube. 2nd. Indiana: Hackett Publishing, 2002. Print.