Single Idea 301

[catalogued under 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 Reference

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.