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Single Idea 204

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue ]

Full Idea

Socrates is contradicting himself by saying virtue is not teachable, and yet trying to demonstrate that every virtue is knowledge.

Clarification

'Virtue' here is the Greek word 'areté', which also translates as 'excellence'

Gist of Idea

Socrates is contradicting himself in claiming virtue can't be taught, but that it is knowledge

Source

Plato (Protagoras [c.380 BCE], 361b)

Book Ref

Plato: 'Protagoras and Meno', ed/tr. Guthrie,W K C [Penguin 1956], p.99

The 28 ideas with the same theme [whether people can be taught to be virtuous]:

205 Protagoras contradicts himself by saying virtue is teachable, but then that it is not knowledge [Plato on Protagoras]
4323 Socrates is torn between intellectual virtue, which is united and teachable, and natural virtue, which isn't [PG on Socrates]
8003 Socrates agrees that virtue is teachable, but then denies that there are teachers [Socrates, by MacIntyre]
21385 Antisthenes said virtue is teachable and permanent, is life's goal, and is like universal wealth [Antisthenes (I), by Long]
235 Virtue is the aim of all laws [Plato]
1913 Is virtue taught, or achieved by practice, or a natural aptitude, or what? [Plato]
1921 If virtue is a type of knowledge then it ought to be taught [Plato]
1927 It seems that virtue is neither natural nor taught, but is a divine gift [Plato]
188 Socrates did not believe that virtue could be taught [Plato]
189 If we punish wrong-doers, it shows that we believe virtue can be taught [Plato]
204 Socrates is contradicting himself in claiming virtue can't be taught, but that it is knowledge [Plato]
43 Nature enables us to be virtuous, but habit develops virtue in us [Aristotle]
44 We acquire virtues by habitually performing good deeds [Aristotle]
5152 Like activities produce like dispositions, so we must give the right quality to the activity [Aristotle]
4378 We must practise virtuous acts because practice actually teaches us the nature of virtue [Burnyeat on Aristotle]
51 True education is training from infancy to have correct feelings [Aristotle]
6793 People can break into the circle of virtue and good action, by chance, or with help [Aristotle]
57 We acquire virtue by the repeated performance of just and temperate acts [Aristotle]
2690 Associating with good people can be a training in virtue [Aristotle]
499 Repentance of shameful deeds is salvation [Democritus (attr)]
524 Virtue comes more from practice than from nature [Democritus (attr)]
23405 Rituals escape natural chaos, and benefit everyone, by reshaping our motivations [Xunzi (Xun Kuang), by Norden]
23406 Rituals don't arise from human nature; they are the deliberate creations of a sage [Xunzi (Xun Kuang)]
8009 Aquinas wanted, not to escape desire, but to transform it for moral ends [Aquinas, by MacIntyre]
21419 If virtue becomes a habit, that is a loss of the freedom needed for adopting maxims [Kant]
22340 It is hard to learn goodness from others, because their virtues are part of their personal history [Murdoch]
22349 Art trains us in the love of virtue [Murdoch]
7095 Moral education is better by concrete example than abstract principle [Statman]