5839
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For Socrates, wisdom and prudence were the same thing [Socrates, by Xenophon]
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Full Idea:
Socrates did not distinguish wisdom from prudence, but judged that the man who recognises and puts into practice what is truly good, and the man who knows and guards against what is disgraceful, are both wise and prudent.
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From:
report of Socrates (reports of career [c.420 BCE]) by Xenophon - Memorabilia of Socrates 3.9.3
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A reaction:
Compare Aristotle, who separates them, claiming that prudence is essential for moral virtue, but wisdom is pursued at a different level, closer to the gods than to society.
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5069
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Socrates was the first to base ethics upon reason, and use reason to explain it [Taylor,R on Socrates]
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Full Idea:
Socrates was the first significant thinker to try basing ethics upon reason, and to try uncovering its natural principles solely by the use of reason.
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From:
comment on Socrates (reports of career [c.420 BCE]) by Richard Taylor - Virtue Ethics: an Introduction Ch.7
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A reaction:
Interesting. It seems to me that Socrates overemphasised reason, presumably because it was a novelty. Hence his view that akrasia is impossible, and that virtue is simply knowledge. Maybe action is not just rational, but moral action is.
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5840
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The wise perform good actions, and people fail to be good without wisdom [Socrates, by Xenophon]
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Full Idea:
It is the wise who perform truly good actions, and those who are not wise cannot, and, if they try to, fail.
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From:
report of Socrates (reports of career [c.420 BCE]) by Xenophon - Memorabilia of Socrates 3.9.6
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A reaction:
The essence of Socrates' intellectualism, with which Aristotle firmly disagreed (when he assert that only practical reason was needed for virtuous actions, rather than wisdom or theory). Personally I side more with Socrates than with Aristotle on this.
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