Single Idea 22098

[catalogued under 20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / d. Weakness of will]

Full Idea

There is a fundamental weakness in Socrates, that he does not take into account the gap between knowing what is good and actually putting this into action.

Gist of Idea

Socrates neglects the gap between knowing what is good and doing good

Source

report of Søren Kierkegaard (The Concept of Dread (/Anxiety) [1844]) by Clare Carlisle - Kierkegaard: a guide for the perplexed 5

Book Reference

Carlisle,Clare: 'Kierkegaard: guide for the perplexed' [Continuum 2006], p.105


A Reaction

This rejects Socrates's intellectualism about weakness of will. It is perhaps a better criticism that Aristotle's view that desires sometimes overcome the will. It is also the problem of motivation in Kantian deontology. Or utilitarianism.