SOCRATES: Shall I indulge you?
figure is—what sort of answer would you have MENO: By all means.
given him?
SOCRATES: And then you will tell me about vir-SOCRATES: I should have told him the truth. And tue?
if he were a philosopher of the eristic and an-MENO: I will.
tagonistic sort, I should say to him: You have my SOCRATES: Then I must do my best, for there is answer, and if I am wrong, your business is to a prize to be won.
take up the argument and refute me. But if we MENO: Certainly.
were friends, and were talking as you and I are SOCRATES: Well, I will try and explain to you what now, I should reply in a milder strain and more figure is. What do you say to this answer?—Fig-in the dialectician’s vein; that is to say, I should ure is the only thing which always follows colour.
not only speak the truth, but I should make use Will you be satisfied with it, as I am sure that I of premisses which the person interrogated should be, if you would let me have a similar would be willing to admit. And this is the way in definition of virtue?
which I shall endeavour to approach you. You will MENO: But, Socrates, it is such a simple answer.
acknowledge, will you not, that there is such a SOCRATES: Why simple?
thing as an end, or termination, or extremity?—
MENO: Because, according to you, figure is that all which words I use in the same sense, although which always follows colour.
I am aware that Prodicus might draw distinctions (SOCRATES: Granted.)
about them: but still you, I am sure, would speak MENO: But if a person were to say that he does of a thing as ended or terminated—that is all not know what colour is, any more than what which I am saying—not anything very difficult.