The Meno begins as a Socratic definition dialogue whose topic is “excellence” (ʾɑρετή). At 80d, Meno causes the dialogue to abort by asking Socrates how he can expect to find out what excellence is when he doesn't have even a clue to start with. Socrates' response and the rest of the dialogue bring in several new things.

First, Socrates propounds the Doctrine of Recollection:

1. (DR) What we call learning is not really that, but recollecting something we knew beforehand.

Next, Socrates is prepared to discuss, using a certain method, whether excellence is teachable even in the absence of a definition. This requires renunciation of the Intellectualist Assumption, although the dialogue opens with a firm restatement of that assumption.

The method Socrates goes on to describe is often referred to as the “Method of Hypothesis.” It bears some resemblance to the method of Geometrical Analysis, on which it is based.

Finally, Socrates retreats from the claim that knowledge is a prerequisite for excellence: he suggests that true belief might be enough. This change from the stance of the Socratic dialogues is not of central concern in this book, and I shall have only a little to say about it.

Section 9.1 below discusses a background problem for the Intellectualist Assumption. Section 9.2 briefly discusses definition in the mini-Socratic dialogue. Section 9.3 deals with Meno's question at 80d, and § 9.4 with Socrates' response, the Doctrine of Recollection. Section 9.5 takes up the Method of Hypothesis.