Meno: Socrates! I have another question for you.
Socrates: Naturally. It so happens that I am on my way to the bakery. You may join me on my way, should you wish. Well, let’s hear it then.
Meno: You said before that virtue could only be a gift of the gods. Well, what of love? Is it naturally born with or taught? Or as with virtue, can it be only bestowed by the gods?
Socrates: Do you take me for one who would know of such matters? And what is it that has prompted such questioning? Fallen for some pretty maid, have you?
Meno: Then you profess not to know any more of love than you previously did of virtue?
Socrates: I never said one way or the other. What would say love is, then?
Meno: Well, that is, love is that which is felt between… a man and a woman… Surely, you must know of this much, Socrates?
Socrates: I believe I take your meaning. Then when a man should desire a woman, that is love, is it?
Meno: What else should it be?
Socrates: Then I am to take it that whensoever a man visits a brothel, he is in love with every maid he meets there? Or whenever his eyes fall upon a comely maid and he desires her, then that is love?
Meno: Well, of course that does not sound right. That is almost certainly not love. At least, quite rarely.
Socrates: What would you call this, then?
Meno: Why, I would call it lust.
Socrates: And love is not lust, then?
Meno: I should think not.
Socrates: Then for a marriage to have love, a man should not desire his wife.
Meno: Well that is not right, at all! Naturally there must be some attraction between a man and woman for a relationship to exist.
Socrates: So, what you mean to say is that lust is not love, but that love is, in part, lust?
Meno: That sounds right, yes.
Socrates: So then lust, in addition to something else, will be love?
Meno: I’m not sure I take your meaning.
Socrates: Well we’ve established that love is partly lust, but that lust is not solely what constitutes love. Therefore, besides lust, other things must be present. Indeed, bread is not solely comprised of wheat, but must be mixed with eggs and milk and so on, and then the resulting dough must be allowed to rise under sufficient heat.
Meno: A true statement.
Socrates: Then should it follow to be true that lust in addition to some other things must be all present together and allowed to develop together to become love?
Meno: To be sure, that seems the result.
Socrates: What would you say these other things to be, then?
Meno: I confess that I do not know.
Socrates: If this is so, we two should indeed prove to be fools in the same manner, for nor do I. But let us explore the potential origins, or at least the use, of love. For often in searching for a tool in order to complete a particular task, even if one does not know the exact nature of the tool, he may deduce what qualities the tool must have in order to serve his purpose. Therefore, by looking into the purpose of love, we should be able to determine its qualities.
Meno: This seems a reasonable method. But how shall we determine the purpose of love? I must admit that I can no more easily solve this puzzle than the other. Indeed, I have more than once heard that love is useless, as must have you, Socrates.
