more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 301

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / e. Good as knowledge ]

Full Idea

Nothing is good except knowledge of some sort.

Clarification

'Knowledge' here is the Greek word 'epistemé'

Gist of Idea

Only knowledge of some sort is good

Source

Plato (Euthydemus [c.379 BCE], 292b)

Book Ref

Plato: 'Early Socratic Dialogues', ed/tr. Saunders,Trevor J [Penguin 1987], p.349

A Reaction

I've heard it suggested that truth is the only value. This is the Socratic idea that moral goodness is a matter of successful rational judgement. Not convinced, but interesting.

The 6 ideas with the same theme [goodness is intelligence and knowledge]:

3017 The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance [Socrates, by Diog. Laertius]
301 Only knowledge of some sort is good [Plato]
2138 Pleasure is commonly thought to be the good, though the more ingenious prefer knowledge [Plato]
7915 Supreme cleverness is knowledge of the real value of things [Rochefoucauld]
5931 All other things being equal, a universe with more understanding is better [Ross]
5939 Morality is not entirely social; a good moral character should love truth [Ross]