Meno

Summary

meno: Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is teachable? Or is it not teachable, but attainable by practice? Or is it attainable neither by practice nor by learning, and do people instead acquire it by nature, or in some other way?

socrates: In the past, Meno, the Thessalians were renowned among the Greeks and admired for both horsemanship and wealth, but now, I think, they are admired for wisdom as well, and particularly the fellow-citizens of your friend Aristippus, the men of Larisa. You have Gorgias to thank for this, for since he came to that city he has made the leading Aleuadae, of whom your lover Aristippus is one, court him for his wisdom, as well as the leading people among the other Thessalians. And besides he has given you this very habit of fearlessly and magnificently answering any question anyone asks, as is only reasonable for people who have knowledge, since he himself makes himself available for any Greek who wishes to pose him any question he likes, and answers absolutely everyone.

But the situation here, my dear Meno, is quite the opposite: there has been a drought of wisdom, as it were, and in all likelihood wisdom has vanished from these parts and migrated to your people.