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Single Idea 2138

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

Full Idea

The usual view of goodness is that it is pleasure, while there's also a more ingenious view that it is knowledge.

Gist of Idea

Pleasure is commonly thought to be the good, though the more ingenious prefer knowledge

Source

Plato (The Republic [c.374 BCE], 505b)

Book Reference

Plato: 'Republic', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [OUP 1993], p.230


A Reaction

Pleasure clearly has an attraction for everyone (even puritans), and is thus a plausible natural candidate. Is this pure or instrumental knowledge? Hard to justify the former.