Single Idea 16

[catalogued under 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 2. Acting on Beliefs / a. Acting on beliefs]

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.371 BCE], 366c)

Book Reference

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.