A review by eely225
Protagoras and Meno, by Plato
5.0
The dialogues are well paired, and I'm glad to have read them in sequence, both for my first time. They each occupy a central concern of Plato, and probably Socrates too, that of whether virtue can be taught like any other element of knowledge, or whether it is somehow inherent in some but not in others.
The dialogues come to few conclusions. The ones they do come to are not necessarily neatly proven (for instance how no one learns anything, but merely remembers what one already learned in past lives). Instead, both dialogues serve as a model for the process of education. This is not unique in the dialogues, but they demonstrate how Socrates would use inquiry and a precise definition of terms in order to uplift all parties in conversation. He was convinced that by maintaining an honest, direct dialogue, two people could learn something that neither knew at the outset. For the educator, this itself is an important demonstration. Furthermore, the inquiry into what can and what cannot be taught is useful for the educator who sees themselves as bearing the burden of a child's entire life; there are some things you cannot hold yourself responsible for.
Ultimately, I was honestly surprised at how accessible the dialogues were. That has something to do with translation, surely, but Plato, in this case, does not fly so far over your head that he must be brought down. Rather, the clarity of Socrates' inquiry and the time he takes to understand what he is talking about take the reader with him. It is a dialogue of improvement by participation that is much more accessible than anything over 2000 years old has any right to be.
The dialogues come to few conclusions. The ones they do come to are not necessarily neatly proven (for instance how no one learns anything, but merely remembers what one already learned in past lives). Instead, both dialogues serve as a model for the process of education. This is not unique in the dialogues, but they demonstrate how Socrates would use inquiry and a precise definition of terms in order to uplift all parties in conversation. He was convinced that by maintaining an honest, direct dialogue, two people could learn something that neither knew at the outset. For the educator, this itself is an important demonstration. Furthermore, the inquiry into what can and what cannot be taught is useful for the educator who sees themselves as bearing the burden of a child's entire life; there are some things you cannot hold yourself responsible for.
Ultimately, I was honestly surprised at how accessible the dialogues were. That has something to do with translation, surely, but Plato, in this case, does not fly so far over your head that he must be brought down. Rather, the clarity of Socrates' inquiry and the time he takes to understand what he is talking about take the reader with him. It is a dialogue of improvement by participation that is much more accessible than anything over 2000 years old has any right to be.