Comparing Socrates And Meno's Apology

Life is a constant battle of always trying to better oneself. One wants to be better than she or he was the day before, and be better than those around her or him. Meno, from Plato’s dialogue Meno, is a perfect example of someone who is was concerned with being the best, especially when it leads to powerand having power. But heHowever, Meno was far less concerned with bettering himself than ensuring he was better than everyone those around him. This desire led him to ask the philosopher Socrates, “Can virtue be taught?” (Meno, 70a). Throughout Meno Socrates and Meno work towards trying to definedefining virtue and determine determining if it virtue can be taught to those who do not have it. At the beginning of the dialogue Meno is ignorant

Socrates takes more of the stance of a teacher in Apology. In the Apology Socrates is placed on trial and is attempting to defend his actionshow he is viewed and his teaching practice. Socrates is attempting to teach, or prove, that he is an innocent man who does not deserve punishment for his actions. If Socrates is attempting to teach anything it is that he is an innocent man. Socrates explains that he tries to dismantle the “wise” men of Athens who say they are wise because wisdom comes from accepting your own ignorancethey do not accept their own ignorance. Socrates says that wisdom comes from accepting that you do not know. This is paralleled with Meno’s acceptance of his own ignorance in Meno, which was a moment where he gains wisdom. Socrates is not trying to learn anything in ApologyUnlike in Meno, there is nothing Socrates is trying to learn in the Apology. He asks fewer questions in Apology than he does in Meno because there is not a definite question he is looking for an answer tothe Apology. Perhaps if Socrates was asking more questionsSocrates avoids asking questions because it would take his credibilityquestioning would challenge his credibility away while he was on trial. The jury could not trust a man who is asking questions of his own innocence. The only time in the Apology where he does ask questions is when he attempts discredit one of his accusers, Meletus. Socrates points out Meletus’

We can go on a search, but if we are not wise to the fact that we are ignorant of what we are looking for we cannot go on a true philosophical search. Meno could only continue to learn of the nature of virtue once he accepted and admitted his own ignorance towards virtue. Socrates helped him on his way, while not teaching him but learning alongside Meno. Socrates taught much more in the Apology, and the teaching was not successful because it did not prevent his sentence to death. Socrates’ understanding of his own ignorance led to his wisdom, which allowed him to face his death