How does Plato’s Meno discuss whether virtue can be taught?

In Plato’s dialogue the Meno, the question of whether virtue can be taught is a central theme, often explored alongside the observation that eminent men have frequently failed to raise virtuous sons.1

The dialogue addresses this inquiry through the following framework:

• The Problem of Inquiry: Meno challenges the possibility of searching for virtue by asking how one can look for something if they do not know what it is, or how they would recognize it if they found it.21
• Recollection Theory: Socrates responds to this paradox by proposing the doctrine of recollection. He suggests that what is called learning is actually the process of recollecting knowledge that is latent within the individual from a previous existence. To demonstrate this, he prompts a slave boy to solve geometry problems, illustrating that theoretical knowledge can be accessed through proper questioning.21
• Knowledge vs. Belief: The Meno is also significant for its early distinction between knowledge and true belief, which is essential to understanding how virtue might be grasped or transmitted.1

By focusing on these epistemological foundations, the dialogue shifts the focus from simple instruction to the nature of understanding itself.1