The discussion of Plato's theory of recollection evolved from a single question, "What is virtue?" When questioning Meno on the single definition of virtue, Plato was never satisfied. He never accepted Meno's answers because Meno gave "virtuous" definitions, not "virtue's" definition. For example, Meno claimed, "if you want a woman's virtue, that is easily described. She must be a good housewife, careful with her stores and obedient to her husband. Then there is another virtue for a child, male or female, and another for an old man, free or slave" (Plato's Meno). All of these are examples of how a person's role becomes virtuous but never defines what virtue really is. Plato questions Meno's self-knowledge of virtue, but Meno expounds virtuous characteristics rather than giving a definition of v

Plato believes the conversation to search for what virtue really is should continue despite achieving no success in their first efforts to form a satisfactory definition. Meno becomes very aggravated with Plato and proposes a valid argument to him. Meno exclaims,

Plato expresses his theory of recollection, due to Meno's difficulty in his search for virtue and to motivate Meno not to give up. Plato first explains the soul of man is immortal and has been born many times. The soul already has learned everything from the past. This means, the soul has the ability to "recollect" information and knowledge from the past. "There is no reason why (one) should not find out all the rest (from a single piece of knowledge), if one keeps a stout heart and does not grow weary of the search, for seeking and learning are in fact nothing but recollection" (Plato's Meno). This new kind of knowledge confuses Meno and he cannot quite grasp the whole concept of knowledge derived from the soul. To better explain himself, Plato calls a slave boy over to him to demonstrate the process in which a person goes about obtaining knowledge from the soul. Plato uses a geometric equation that the boy does not know. Plato asks him directatory questions until he derives the answer. Plato never gave him any new knowledge but through his line of questioning the boy "recollected the answer." Therefore, the boy must have known the answer the whole time but simply forgot the knowledge needed. This demonstration illustrates Plato's doctrine of knowledge, "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting" (Plato's Meno:Text and Criticism). Meno now understands and agrees with Plato's viewpoints on how one retains knowledge through recollection.

"The regress is vicious for two reasons. First, because expectations of an explanation of the way we learn are simply filled by po

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