Protagoras and Meno Summary
Plato

Protagoras and Meno Summary

Socrates is brought to see Protagoras, who is known as an old and successful Sophist. Hippocrates says that he wants to study with Protagoras, not to become a Sophist, but as part of his liberal arts study program. Protagoras admits he is a Sophist unlike some other men, but what is a Sophist supposed to teach? Socrates enters into a conversation with Protagoras the Sophist on what to teach. Protagoras answers that everyone can learn virtue, as a citizen and leader, and that is what he teaches best. Socrates then asks about what is virtue, which he considers to be one thing. Protagoras has broken up virtue into five different parts and compares them to the cooperating parts of a face. Socrates objects to this and shows that the so-called different parts of virtue, such as knowledge and holiness, are related. This angers Protagoras, who goes into one of his... View more of the Protagoras and Meno Summary