Soc. Please, Anytus, to help me and your friend Meno in answering our question : Who are the teachers ? Consider the matter thus : If we wanted Meno to be a good physician, to whom should we send him ? Should we not send him to the physicians ?
Anytus. Certainly.
Soc. Or if we wanted him to be a good cobbler, should we not send him to the cobblers ?
Any. Yes.
Soc. And so forth ?
Any. Yes.
Soc. Let me trouble you with one more question. When we say that we should be right in sending him to the physicians if we wanted him to be a physician, do we mean that we should be right in sending him to those who profess the art, rather than to those who do not, and to those who demand payment for teaching the art, and profess to teach it to any one who will come and learn ? And if these were our reasons, should we not be right in sending him ?
Any. Yes.
Soc. And might not the same be said of flute-playing, and of the other arts ? Would a man who wanted to make another a flute-player refuse to send him to those who profess to teach the art for money, and be plaguing other persons to give him instruction, who are not professed teachers and who never had a single disciple in that branch of knowledge which he wishes him to acquire — would not such conduct be the height of folly ?
Any. Yes, by Zeus, and of ignorance too.