"Meno" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plato)

380 BC

MENO

by Plato

translated by Benjamin Jowett

MENO



PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE MENO; SOCRATES; A SLAVE OF MENO;

ANYTUS



Meno. Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is acquired by

teaching or by practice; or if neither by teaching nor practice,

then whether it comes to man by nature, or in what other way?

Socrates. O Meno, there was a time when the Thessalians were

famous among the other Hellenes only for their riches and their

riding; but now, if I am not mistaken, they are equally famous for

their wisdom, especially at Larisa, which is the native city of your

friend Aristippus. And this is Gorgias' doing; for when he came there,

the flower of the Aleuadae, among them your admirer Aristippus, and

the other chiefs of the Thessalians, fell in love with his wisdom. And

he has taught you the habit of answering questions in a grand and bold

style, which becomes those who know, and is the style in which he

himself answers all comers; and any Hellene who likes may ask him

anything. How different is our lot! my dear Meno. Here at Athens there

is a dearth of the commodity, and all wisdom seems to have emigrated

from us to you. I am certain that if you were to ask any Athenian