From John:
Meno is hands down my favorite Great Book so far. There are several different components. Here are some questions I want to delve into with the chums:
- Those of you that were part of the last discussion on Homer’s Iliad… remember the big ah ha when considering the historical context of the story? Please consider the apparent (the actual year is not known) timing of the writing…For what was Plato’s school famous? And how might Plato’s pupils or prospective pupils interact with the Meno story?
- What could be the purpose in Plato writing the story as a dialogue between men that likely were deceased instead of writing it as his own narrative on the topic?
- It has been speculated by commentators that there may have been something lost in the translation where satirical comments were translated as serious. Which portions of the story seem open to this possibility? Why?
- What is your take on the idea of remembering vs. reincarnation? Is Socrates’ logic sound on this point?
- Please identify historical examples of good men who always did good.
- How do you personally define “being good”?
And of course I am fascinated to know how the final conclusion resonated with each of you, but hesitate to ask specific questions here and ruin the end for those of you that have not yet completed the reading… I look forward to hearing your impressions of the conclusion.