_Soc._ It will be no easy matter, but I will try to please you to the utmost of my power. Suppose that you call one of your numerous attendants, that I may demonstrate on him. _Men._ Certainly. Come hither, boy. _Soc._ He is Greek, and speaks Greek, does he not? _Men._ Yes, indeed; he was born in the house. _Soc._ Attend now to the questions which I ask him, and observe whether he learns of me or only remembers. _Men._ I will. _Soc._ Tell me, boy, do you know that a figure like this is a square? _Boy._ I do. _Soc._ And you know that a square figure has these four lines equal? _Boy._ Certainly. _Soc._ And these lines which I have drawn through the middle of the square are also equal? _Boy._ Yes. _Soc._ A square may be of any size? _Boy._ Certainly. _Soc._ And if one side of the figure be of two feet, and the other side be of two feet, how much will the whole be? Let me explain: if in one direction the space was of two feet, and in the other direction of one foot, the whole would be of two feet taken once? _Boy._ Yes. [Sidenote: _Socrates and the boy._] _Soc._ But since this side is also of two feet, there are twice two feet? _Boy._ There are. _Soc._ Then the square is of twice two feet? _Boy._ Yes. _Soc._ And how many are twice two feet? count and tell me. _Boy._ Four, Socrates. _Soc._ And might there not be another square twice as large as this, and having like this the lines equal? _Boy._ Yes. _Soc._ And of how many feet will that be? _Boy._ Of eight feet. _Soc._ And now try and tell me the length of the line which forms the side of that double square: this is two feet—what will that be? _Boy._ Clearly, Socrates, it will be double. [Sidenote: He is partly guessing.] _Soc._ Do you observe, Meno, that I am not teaching the boy anything, but only asking him questions; and now he fancies that he knows how long a line is necessary in order to produce a figure of eight square feet; does he not? _Men._ Yes. _Soc._ And does he really know? _Men._ Certainly not. _Soc._ He only guesses that because the square is double, the line is double. _Men._ True. _Soc._ Observe him while he recalls the steps in regular order. (_To the Boy._) Tell me, boy, do you assert that a 83 double space comes from a double line? Remember that I am not speaking of an oblong, but of a figure equal every way, and twice the size of this—that is to say of eight feet; and I want to know whether you still say that a double square comes from a double line? _Boy._ Yes. _Soc._ But does not this line become doubled if we add another such line here? _Boy._ Certainly. _Soc._ And four such lines will make a space containing eight feet? _Boy._ Yes.