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Full Idea
Unless a man is born with a heaven-sent aversion to wrong-doing, or acquires the knowledge to refrain from it, he will never do right of his own free will.
Gist of Idea
We avoid evil either through a natural aversion, or because we have acquired knowledge
Source
Plato (The Republic [c.374 BCE], 366c)
Book Ref
Plato: 'Republic', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [OUP 1993], p.55
A Reaction
This is the territory explored so carefully by Aristotle (after he had read Republic!). It is hard to see what the knowledge could be, other than awareness of consequences.
16 | We avoid evil either through a natural aversion, or because we have acquired knowledge [Plato] |
22515 | Choice results when deliberation brings together an opinion with an inclination [Aristotle] |
24113 | Our motives don't explain our actions [Nietzsche] |
20045 | Acting for a reason is a combination of a pro attitude, and a belief that the action is appropriate [Davidson] |
20149 | To control our actions better, make them result from our attitudes, not from circumstances [Kekes] |
4325 | Must all actions be caused in part by a desire, or can a belief on its own be sufficient? [Hursthouse] |