In this paper, I will exam Plato’s idea of “virtue is knowledge” to understand “can virtue be taught”. In my opinion, Plato does not strictly proves “virtue is knowledge”; instead, he believes that “virtue is the gift of God”.
“Can virtue be taught?” This is question Plato is trying to answer in Meno. This problem is important and serious, because its answer directly concerns a question about how we understand and position education. The reason for Plato making this question is related to his opposition to the wise men. It is well known in the times of Socrates and Plato, some wise men advocate “virtue can be taught” to recruit a large number of young customers. They pull out money from pocket; hope the wise men can teach them virtue However, from Plato’s and Socrates’s viewpoint, this kind of behavior ruins people’s virtue. Therefore, to criticism theses wise men, they must refute “virtue can be taught”.
Before Meno, Plato reflects “can virtue be taught” in Protagoras. In this dialogue, Plato selects Protagoras as Socrates’s opponent, the intention is obvious, if the wise men like Protagoras cannot provide sufficient and strong argument for “virtue can be taught”, then it is doubtful for the wise men to advocate “virtue can be taught”. That is only for questioning “virtue can be taught”, Protagoras cannot be considered as fail. Because in this dialogue, except in one or two places the requirements Socrates proposes to Protagoras seem quite unreasonable, even a little inconsiderate (Plato, Protagoras, 2002, pp. 27-31, 334c-338e),most of the time, Protagoras does not succeed in persuading Socrates. But the problem is that, although the argument “virtue can be taught" seems doubtful, but in the dialogue Socrates was not able to pre...
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...f his way of thinking; almost all of Plato's dialogues are not transcend this limitation. Confined on the way of thinking, Plato always trying to find a common definition of the concept and according to the definition starts analyzing and discussing. Although he stressed the overall concept, also pay attention to the semantics of the language, but he did not realize that the language system itself is whole organic and inseparable from human practice, the concept of universal knowledge and understanding cannot be separated from holding a special section. So, in Meno, he rejects virtue of a special category from discussing the issue is inappropriate.
Works Cited
Plato. (2002). Meno. In G. Grube., Five Dialogues (pp. 58-92). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Plato. (2002, November 3). Protagoras. (C.c.W.Taylor, Ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc.
Plato, and G. M. A. Grube. "Phaedo." Five Dialogues. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 2002. 93-
Plato. Menexenus. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. 2nd ed. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. Ed. Patricia Bizzell & Bruce Herzberg. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001. 60A-63B. Print.
To Socrates, virtue is something that benefits us and therefore considered a type of knowledge. If it is a type of knowledge, then virtue is capable of being taught. Socrates gives an example of gold and silver. Socrates states “It follows that getting hold of the goods will not be virtue any more so than failing to do so, apparently it 's the case that whatever is done justly is virtue; whatever is not done justly is a sort of vice or evil”( Meno 44). Vices are different, they are giving into an act without reasoning. If virtue is something that benefits us rather than causing harm like vice’s do then this supports the fact that virtue is a type of wisdom (Meno 81). With the qualities of the soul, for example courage is separated from their respective vices, by knowledge. Someone who is virtuous has a harmonies soul and someone who does not has no harmony.When someone has a harmonious soul it is said that that they have reached happiness or eudaimonia. The greeks looked at this as human flourishing, or living a good life. For Socrates this was the ultimate goal for humans. Areta was the key way into reaching happiness.Areta translates into virtue and for socrates virtue was excellence.The five classical aretas are wisdom, justice,temperance, courage and piety. If one was to reach eudaimonia one would need to attain all
(4) Plato, Crito, in: The Works of Plato, The Nottingham Society, New York, vol. III, p. 125-6. (the year of publication unknown).
The Republic is considered to be one of Plato’s most storied legacies. Plato recorded many different philosophical ideals in his writings. Addressing a wide variety of topics from justice in book one, to knowledge, enlightenment, and the senses as he does in book seven. In his seventh book, when discussing the concept of knowledge, he virtually addresses the cliché “seeing is believing”, while attempting to validate the roots of our knowledge. By his use of philosophical themes, Plato is able to further his points on enlightenment, knowledge, and education.
Plato. (1992). Plato Republic. (G. Grube, & C. Reeve, Eds.) Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company Inc.
Marra, James L., Zelnick, Stephen C., and Mattson, Mark T. IH 51 Source Book: Plato, The Republic, pp. 77-106. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, 1998.
Right after Socrates comments how they can both look for virtue, Meno gives him these questions: “How will you look for it, Socrates, when you do not know at all what it is? How will you aim to search for something you do not know at all? If you should meet with it, how will you know that this is the thing you did not know (80d)?” This is Meno’s paradox which explains the discovery of knowledge is impossible and if you do not know what you are learning, and that you cannot discover it either. Meno states in his first premise that you either know what knowledge is or you don’t, and whether you do know it or not, you cannot discover what that piece of knowledge is. This,
Plato, and G. M. A. Grube. Five Dialogues. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 2002. Print.
Life as we know it is full of wonder and mystery. Questions are essential in order for us to discover the world around us and especially understand where we stand in the world. Many philosophers find their inspiration in Aristotle’s work. His work is legendary and his name is known throughout the world. As a philosopher, Aristotle questioned life around him in order to better understand the world and how humans work. One of those various questions included, “What makes a good person?” This question resolves around the theory of virtue ethics. This theory stresses how character and virtue play a major part in moral philosophy. According to Aristotle, someone who has excellent attributes is defined as being virtuous. Both Plato and Aristotle are known as the founding fathers of this theory of virtue. Aristotle is credited more with this theory than Plato. Around the 19th century virtue ethics declined, but resurfaced in the late 1950’s in Anglo-American philosophy. Virtue ethics has risen to prominence once again because of its focus on the virtuous character traits of individuals that help
Aristotle claims that there are two types of virtue: intellectual and moral. Intellectual virtues must be taught, so it requires experience and time. On the other hand, “none of the moral virtues arises in us by nature; for nothing that exists by nature can form a habit contrary to its nature.” (Aristotle 23) He says that when we are born, we all have the potential to be morally virtuous; it just depends on our upbringing and habits that determine who actually becomes virtuous. He confirms this with a metaphor to government, when he says, “legislators make the citizens good by forming habits in them.” (23) This is showing that on all levels, virtue is something that needs to be taught.
Socrates challenges Protagoras if virtue is really something that can be taught and he continues to argue with Protagoras because he simply wants to understand the truth about virtue. He knows that Protagoras has the reputation as being the best and he wants to know the answer. Socrates wants to know if all parts of virtue are separate and distinct or all one and the same. As the argument progresses Protagoras does not give Socrates clear answers to his questions, and the conversation is not going where Socrates wished it would. Socrates continued to ask Protagoras questions, that was until Protagoras could no longer answer the questions, he gave up and realized that in the argument he turned into the answerer. This is probably due to the fact that Socrates wanted the answers, and who else go to for those answers than
In my opinion, Plato’s idea that virtue can’t be taught is correct. But can one learn to be virtuous? One can know what virtuousness is comprised of but that doesn’t necessarily mean that one will be virtuous. This indicates
1) Marra, James L., Zelnick, Stephen C., and Mattson, Mark T. IH 51 Source Book: Plato, The Republic, pp. 77-106
Still innocent and so naïve, the common human consciousness slowly began to raise itself, giving birth thereat to great men, who will forever remain in the hearts of the “consecrated”. One of those great men was Plato.