ABSTRACT
In one of his numerous discussions, Socrates said that he did not know what virtue was and he wanted to seek together with Meno what it could be. To prove the reality of his recollection theory, Socrates questioned an unschooled slave-boy about a particular geometric problem. He intended to show that the slave-boy knew the solution to the problem already and just had not realized it yet. Although the example Socrates used in extricating knowledge from the slave-boy may not be altogether convincing in demonstrating inborn knowledge, it does not invalidate his approach. Plato's early dialogues are understood to be writings where original views of Socrates were very likely reflected. The Socratic method is comprised of two phases, a destructive, elenctic phase, and a constructive phase. Both phases consist in extracting answers from an interlocutor, which are just the interlocutor's opinions in the first phase, and correct answers in the second phase.
