light　of　the　sun　above；　and　these　are　they　who　become　noble　kings
  and　mighty　men　and　great　in　wisdom　and　are　called　saintly　heroes　in
  after　ages。〃　The　soul；　then；　as　being　immortal；　and　having　been　born
  again　many　times；　rand　having　seen　all　things　that　exist；　whether　in
  this　world　or　in　the　world　below；　has　knowledge　of　them　all；　and　it　is
  no　wonder　that　she　should　be　able　to　call　to　remembrance　all　that
  she　ever　knew　about　virtue；　and　about　everything；　for　as　all　nature　is
  akin；　and　the　soul　has　learned　all　things；　there　is　no　difficulty　in
  her　eliciting　or　as　men　say　learning；　out　of　a　single　recollection
  …all　the　rest；　if　a　man　is　strenuous　and　does　not　faint；　for　all
  enquiry　and　all　learning　is　but　recollection。　And　therefore　we　ought
  not　to　listen　to　this　sophistical　argument　about　the　impossibility
  of　enquiry：　for　it　will　make　us　idle；　and　is　sweet　only　to　the
  sluggard；　but　the　other　saying　will　make　us　active　and　inquisitive。　In
  that　confiding；　I　will　gladly　enquire　with　you　into　the　nature　of
  virtue。
  Men。　Yes；　Socrates；　but　what　do　you　mean　by　saying　that　we　do　not
  learn；　and　that　what　we　call　learning　is　only　a　process　of
  recollection？　Can　you　teach　me　how　this　is？
  Soc。　I　told　you；　Meno；　just　now　that　you　were　a　rogue；　and　now　you
  ask　whether　I　can　teach　you；　when　I　am　saying　that　there　is　no
  teaching；　but　only　recollection；　and　thus　you　imagine　that　you　will
  involve　me　in　a　contradiction。
  Men。　Indeed；　Socrates；　I　protest　that　I　had　no　such　intention。　I
  only　asked　the　question　from　habit；　but　if　you　can　prove　to　me　that
  what　you　say　is　true；　I　wish　that　you　would。
  Soc。　It　will　be　no　easy　matter；　but　I　will　try　to　please　you　to
  the　utmost　of　my　power。　Suppose　that　you　call　one　of　your　numerous
  attendants；　that　I　may　demonstrate　on　him。
  Men。　Certainly。　Come　hither；　boy。
  Soc。　He　is　Greek；　and　speaks　Greek；　does　he　not？
  Men。　Yes；　indeed；　he　was　born　in　the　house。
  Soc。　Attend　now　to　the　questions　which　I　ask　him；　and　observe
  whether　he　learns　of　me　or　only　remembers。
  Men。　I　will。
  Soc。　Tell　me；　boy；　do　you　know　that　a　figure　like　this　is　a　square？
  Boy。　I　do。
  Soc。　And　you　know　that　a　square　figure　has　these　four　lines　equal？
  Boy。　Certainly。
  Soc。　And　these　lines　which　I　have　drawn　through　the　middle　of　the
  square　are　also　equal？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　A　square　may　be　of　any　size？
  Boy。　Certainly。
  Soc。　And　if　one　side　of　the　figure　be　of　two　feet；　and　the　other
  side　be　of　two　feet；　how　much　will　the　whole　be？　Let　me　explain：　if　in
  one　direction　the　space　was　of　two　feet；　and　in　other　direction　of　one
  foot；　the　whole　would　be　of　two　feet　taken　once？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　But　since　this　side　is　also　of　two　feet；　there　are　twice　two
  feet？
  Boy。　There　are。
  Soc。　Then　the　square　is　of　twice　two　feet？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　how　many　are　twice　two　feet？　count　and　tell　me。
  Boy。　Four；　Socrates。
  Soc。　And　might　there　not　be　another　square　twice　as　large　as　this；
  and　having　like　this　the　lines　equal？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　of　how　many　feet　will　that　be？
  Boy。　Of　eight　feet。
  Soc。　And　now　try　and　tell　me　the　length　of　the　line　which　forms
  the　side　of　that　double　square：　this　is　two　feet…what　will　that　be？
  Boy。　Clearly；　Socrates；　it　will　be　double。
  Soc。　Do　you　observe；　Meno；　that　I　am　not　teaching　the　boy
  anything；　but　only　asking　him　questions；　and　now　he　fancies　that　he
  knows　how　long　a　line　is　necessary　in　order　to　produce　a　figure　of
  eight　square　feet；　does　he　not？
  Men。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　does　he　really　know？
  Men。　Certainly　not。
  Soc。　He　only　guesses　that　because　the　square　is　double；　the　line
  is　double。
  Men。　True。
  Soc。　Observe　him　while　he　recalls　the　steps　in　regular　order。　（To
  the　Boy。）　Tell　me；　boy；　do　you　assert　that　a　double　space　comes　from　a
  double　line？　Remember　that　I　am　not　speaking　of　an　oblong；　but　of　a
  figure　equal　every　way；　and　twice　the　size　of　this…that　is　to　say　of
  eight　feet；　and　I　want　to　know　whether　you　still　say　that　a　double
  square　comes　from　double　line？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　But　does　not　this　line　become　doubled　if　we　add　another　such
  line　here？
  Boy。　Certainly。
  Soc。　And　four　such　lines　will　make　a　space　containing　eight　feet？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　Let　us　describe　such　a　figure：　Would　you　not　say　that　this　is
  the　figure　of　eight　feet？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　are　there　not　these　four　divisions　in　the　figure；　each　of
  which　is　equal　to　the　figure　of　four　feet？
  Boy。　True。
  Soc。　And　is　not　that　four　times　four？
  Boy。　Certainly。
  Soc。　And　four　times　is　not　double？
  Boy。　No；　indeed。
  Soc。　But　how　much？
  Boy。　Four　times　as　much。
  Soc。　Therefore　the　double　line；　boy；　has　given　a　space；　not　twice；
  but　four　times　as　much。
  Boy。　True。
  Soc。　Four　times　four　are　sixteen…are　they　not？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　What　line　would　give　you　a　space　of　right　feet；　as　this　gives
  one　of　sixteen　feet；…do　you　see？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　the　space　of　four　feet　is　made　from　this　half　line？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　Good；　and　is　not　a　space　of　eight　feet　twice　the　size　of
  this；　and　half　the　size　of　the　other？
  Boy。　Certainly。
  Soc。　Such　a　space；　then；　will　be　made　out　of　a　line　greater　than
  this　one；　and　less　than　that　one？
  Boy。　Yes；　I　think　so。
  Soc。　Very　good；　I　like　to　hear　you　say　what　you　think。　And　now
  tell　me；　is　not　this　a　line　of　two　feet　and　that　of　four？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　Then　the　line　which　forms　the　side　of　eight　feet　ought　to　be
  more　than　this　line　of　two　feet；　and　less　than　the　other　of　four　feet？
  Boy。　It　ought。
  Soc。　Try　and　see　if　you　can　tell　me　how　much　it　will　be。
  Boy。　Three　feet。
  Soc。　Then　if　we　add　a　half　to　this　line　of　two；　that　will　be　the
  line　of　three。　Here　are　two　and　there　is　one；　and　on　the　other　side；
  here　are　two　also　and　there　is　one：　and　that　makes　the　figure　of　which
  you　speak？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　But　if　there　are　three　feet　this　way　and　three　feet　that　way；
  the　whole　space　will　be　three　times　three　feet？
  Boy。　That　is　evident。
  Soc。　And　how　much　are　three　times　three　feet？
  Boy。　Nine。
  Soc。　And　how　much　is　the　double　of　four？
  Boy。　Eight。
  Soc。　Then　the　figure　of　eight　is　not　made　out　of　a　of　three？
  Boy。　No。
  Soc。　But　from　what　line？…tell　me　exactly；　and　if　you　would　rather
  not　reckon；　try　and　show　me　the　line。
  Boy。　Indeed；　Socrates；　I　do　not　know。
  Soc。　Do　you　see；　Meno；　what　advances　he　has　made　in　his　power　of
  recollection？　He　did　not　know　at　first；　and　he　does　not　know　now；　what
  is　the　side　of　a　figure　of　eight　feet：　but　then　he　thought　that　he
  knew；　and　answered　confidently　as　if　he　knew；　and　had　no　difficulty；
  now　he　has　a　difficulty；　and　neither　knows　nor　fancies　that　he　knows。
  Men。　True。
  Soc。　Is　he　not　better　off　in　knowing　his　ignorance？
  Men。　I　think　that　he　is。
  Soc。　If　we　have　made　him　doubt；　and　given　him　the　〃torpedo's　shock；〃
  have　we　done　him　any　harm？
  Men。　I　think　not。
  Soc。　We　have　certainly；　as　would　seem；　assisted　him　in　some　degree
  to　the　discovery　of　the　truth；　and　now　he　will　wish　to　remedy　his
  ignorance；　but　then　he　would　have　been　ready　to　tell　all　the　world
  again　and　again　that　the　double　space　should　have　a　double　side。
  Men。　True。
  Soc。　But　do　you　suppose　that　he　would　ever　have　enquired　into　or
  learned　what　he　fancied　that　he　knew；　though　he　was　really　ignorant　of
  it；　until　he　had　fallen　into　perplexity　under　the　idea　that　he　did　not
  know；　and　had　desired　to　know？
  Men。　I　think　not；　Socrates。
  Soc。　Then　he　was　the　better　for　the　torpedo's　touch？
  Men。　I　think　so。
  Soc。　Mark　now　the　farther　development。　I　shall　only　ask　him；　and　not
  teach　him；　and　he　shall　share　the　enquiry　with　me：　and　do　you　watch
  and　see　if　you　find　me　telling　or　explaining　anything　to　him；
  instead　of　eliciting　his　opinion。　Tell　me；　boy；　is　not　this　a　square
  of　four　feet　which　I　have　drawn？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　now　I　add　another　square　equal　to　the　former　one？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　a　third；　which　is　equal　to　either　of　them？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　Suppose　that　we　fill　up　the　vacant　corner？
  Boy。　Very　good。
  Soc。　Here；　then；　there　are　four　equal　spaces？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　how　many　times　larger　is　this　space　than　this　other？
  Boy。　Four　times。
  Soc。　But　it　ought　to　have　been　twice　only；　as　you　will　remember。
  Boy。　True。
  Soc。　And　does　not　this　line；　reaching　from　corner　to　corner；
  bisect　each　of　these　spaces？
  Boy。　Yes。
  Soc。　And　are　there　not　here　four　equal　lines　which　contain　this
  space？
  Boy。　There　are。
  Soc。　Look　and