In “Meno” part 2, Meno asked Socrates about t how can a man know a thing that they don’t know it. Socrates’ answer is that a man can not inquire a thing whether he knows it doesn’t know it, because if he knows it, he has nothing to inquire about, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t know what he inquires about. And Socrates proclaimed his idea according to a story that soul is immoral, and soul already learned everything, learning is recollecting and remembering. To prove his idea, Socrates demonstrated in front of Meno to make a boy which ignorant with any geometric knowledge to solve a geometric question.
From the demonstrates of Socrates which is teach a boy to solve a math problem, I found that the boy is same with Meno. Because at first, the boy was very confident with his answer that double the length of the side while Socrates asked about how to double the size of a square with 2 feet of the side. After the boy was told that the solution is wrong, he got confused and trying to find another answer with enlightenment from Socrates but no telling the answer directly, the boy finally figured out the answer. It is a similar case with the Meno. At first, Meno though he knows about the virtue, whereas he realized that he knows nothing about virtue after discussing with Scratches, and he got confused. In the dialogue, Scratches was guiding and questioning Meno in order to find out the definition of virtue instead of telling what virtue is.
The theory of Socrates about the soul within every creature carries all the knowledge explained Meno’s paradox that how we learn a thing which we don’t know, it also shows what do we need to do to learn things.
Socrates
And at this moment those opinions have just been stirred up in him, like a dream; but if he were repeatedly asked these same questions in a variety of forms, you know he will have in the end as exact an understanding of them as anyone.(26)
In the demonstration of teaching the boy to solve a math problem, Socrates did not actually tall the answer but provide some hint to him to get the answer. The reason why he did that because he thinks that is how people learn things. It reflects the real-life situation, in primary school teacher teach us how to do calculation instead of just telling the answer. Because if we know how to solve the question we know how to do it next time, but if we only know the answer, we will forget about it. As the text above mentioned, to understand better, teacher will ask you to the same question in different ways to help you to understand.
Socrates
And so it does to me, Meno. Most of the points I have made in support of my argument are not such as I can confidently assert; but that the belief in the duty of inquiring after what we do not know will make us better and braver and less helpless than the notion that there is not even a possibility of discovering what we do not know, nor any duty of inquiring after it—this is a point for which I am determined to do battle, so far as I am able,both in word and deed.(28)
According to the theory of Socrates , the soul knows every knowledge, learning is actually recollecting the knowledge, therefore there is nothing we can’t know as long as people are willing to put enough effort to find out the answer. From the paragraph, Socrates shows his attitude to his life which is to learn and discover what we do not know until reaching death for being more braver and less helpless. I think we should learn from him.
