Preview

Comparing Views On 'Virtue In Socrates Meno'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
609 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Comparing Views On 'Virtue In Socrates Meno'
The Meno – “No one wants what is bad” (78a). During Socrates and Meno’s search to find out what virtue is, they “have found many virtues while looking for one” (74a). Their conversation had led to many different responses but one proved to be vastly interesting. Socrates states “No one wants what is bad” (78a). After many of Meno’s thoughts of what virtue was had been discarded, Meno believes “virtue is to desire beautiful things and have the power to acquire them” (77b). Socrates reply is that if the man that desires beauty will also desire good things. What he is trying to say is that since beauty is considered a good thing, a person who desires to have beautiful things only wants what is good. Meno believes that not all men want good
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Comparing Plato's Apology, Republic, Phaedo And Crito
    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comparing Plato's Apology, Republic, Phaedo And Crito

    This includes happiness and the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. However, because Socrates' views are broken up throughout these dialogues, it is sometimes difficult to see how his remarks fit together into a logical scheme. An appreciation of his values and worldviews can help us understand both his lifestyle and his behavior in the Apology, Republic, Phaedo and Crito. There are important differences between how the ancient Greeks viewed ethics and how most people view it today. The Greek word ethos, from which we derive our word ‘ethics,' means ‘habit.' Consequently, the central ethical question for ancient Greeks such as Socrates was not "What is the right action to perform in this particular situation?" but rather "What kind of person?" or, equivalently, "What kinds of habits…

    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Socrates
    • 162 Words
    • 1 Page

    Pros And Cons Of Socrates

    “Socrates: Should a man professionally engaged in physical training pay attention to the praise and blame and opinion of any man or to those of one man only namely a doctor or trainer”. The problem with this is that the opinion of the majority bears a different type of value than the opinion of a single specialized instructor. In his example it seems accurate to follow the advice of a doctor because the majority is generally uneducated on training. However, you can not trust the advice of just one person. This doctor may have a special agenda. He could be paid by another athlete to make the man training lose. Of course Socrate’s paradigm is just an illustration and is not meant to be examined too deeply but when we apply it to real life…

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Response To The Meno
    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Response To The Meno

    The Meno, although not for certain, is thought to be one of Plato's earliest dialogues. The dialogue opens with Meno asking Socrates whether virtue can be imparted, or taught, with the two men dwelling on this question (alongside more central questions of what virtue is) for the entirety of the text. Within the text, Socrates tries to dichotomize an ethical term by inquisitively questioning an individual who believes to know the term's denotation, but ultimately determines that neither he nor the "expert" really know what the word means.…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Meno's Paradox Of Inquiry Summary
    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Meno's Paradox Of Inquiry Summary

    Socrates argued that no man knowingly desires "evil things." (In the moral sense.) So that the desire for "good" is common in everyone. Menos mentions that good things must be obtained in a good way. (Ex. If wealth is obtained in a just way=hard work) But Socrates again argues that "Virtue must be obtained in a virtuous way," creating a circular argument.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Interlocutor Vs Meno
    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Interlocutor Vs Meno

    Secondly, Meno formulates a broad and imperfect definition. He regards virtue as the acquisition of beautiful things in the context of a type of virtue - justice. Thirdly, Meno failed to look, which uncovers his dangerous hold of self-esteem. He is only concerned with a specific and corollary question: "can virtue be taught?” rather than searching for the answer to the original and ultimate question: "what is virtue?”…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Aristotle's Virtue Analysis
    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Aristotle's Virtue Analysis

    It is true that each author speaks virtues that are common to both the medieval and ancient times. Aristotle being so cunning during his era introduces virtue or excellence consisting of two parts moral and intellectual which can be taught, it is not possible to change what is naturally imprinted. Moral education is tangible through habits and experiences. Virtue can be achieved, not easily; it takes more than one characteristic to meet it.…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Meno Paradox
    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Meno Paradox

    If Meno were a Know-It-All on the subject of virtue, according to Meno’s paradox, Socrates’ questions should not have impacted him at all, and yet he seems impacted. The possibility that Meno superficially, not totally, understands the concept of virtue, is not a possibility for which Meno’s paradox allows. Socrates’ questions, then, move Meno from confident knowledge to a recognition of his own limitations, a movement which should not have been possible were Meno’s paradox valid. Additionally, Meno’s continued participation in the dialogue suggests an intellectual surrender of his paradox since his participation implies an investment in adding to his own…

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dialogue Between Meno And Socrates
    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page

    Dialogue Between Meno And Socrates

    The Meno is the literary work done by Socrates the main theme in this dialogue/story is what is virtue. The dialogue between Meno and Socrates gives insight and question on what it is. It begins with Meno telling Socrates that he has been under the spell of Socrates and that he did not know what virtue was. This is what started the whole conversation between the boy, Meno, and Socrates. First off Socrates asks Meno what virtue is Meno listed examples about virtue but he did not the exact definition. Instead Socrates uses an analogy with the priestess and priests of who believe that people have an immortal soul. He also then uses the torpedo fish, which is a metaphor for when people are “paralyzed” by for being confused and having inconsistent.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates Vs Meno Research Paper
    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Socrates Vs Meno Research Paper

    Meno claims to know the meaning and characteristics of virtue. While Socrates, a curious and inquisitive man, says with all honesty “I am so far from knowing whether virtue can be taught or not that I do not even have any knowledge of what virtue itself is” (Meno, 71). Meno gives multiple suggestions of what virtue can be, but each suggestion made is disassembled by Socrates. Every suggestion to define virtue by Meno included material objects and the power to attain them, such as silver and gold. “I say that virtue is to desire beautiful…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Aristotle's Theory Of Virtue Analysis
    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Aristotle's Theory Of Virtue Analysis

    There are various theories of ethics, like deontology, utilitarianism, casuist and virtue just to name a few. The theory of virtue is quite interesting; it is a theory that according to Principles and Theories (2002, February 17) Retrieved September 29, 2015, is based on judging a person’s character rather than their actions. The theory of virtue is different from other theories in the sense that it is the only one that judges upon character so traits such as integrity, kindness, honesty, morality, and dignity are deemed right and just. These traits also so happen to be some that I find very important to have in my personal relationships. In time there have been philosophers that also stated differences between theories. Aristotle for example, according to Aristotle's Ethics (2001, April 16) Retrieved September 29, 2015, is known for discovering the difference between intellectual and moral values by stating that one is learned and another is acted out naturally as what feels right.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates: The Innocence Of Virtue
    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Socrates: The Innocence Of Virtue

    Virtue, rather than being a teachable piece of knowledge, seems to be an innate understanding. Every person in the world, save perhaps psychopaths and sociopaths, naturally has a strong moral compass. An example that proves this idea is the innocence of children. I have never witnessed a child perform an action with solely malicious intent. Children always have some outside motivation for any hateful actions they perform, so they never do it only to hurt someone. At this point you might think that, yes, children do not do anything with only malicious purposes, but the fact remains that they continue to perform such actions. This is true, but honestly, how have children learned to do such hateful things? No child would consider cursing at anyone if they were angry, but since they observe others performing these actions, the children begin to develop the idea in their minds that doing so must relieve their suffering. It seems, then, that humans learn harmful…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Meno
    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Meno

    As Meno begins his questionnaire, Socrates asks Meno to reiterate Gorgias’ definition of virtue. He proudly defines virtue as the ability for a man and a women to complete their rightful duties and continues on my saying that virtues is different for all. Socrates immediately rejects this idea by explaining to Meno that he is describing the different kinds…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates Vs Meno Analysis
    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Socrates Vs Meno Analysis

    Socrates states that the human soul is immortal and it is reborn again, but it’s never destroyed. Socrates also points out that the soul has learned everything that is to know. Therefore, when we “learn” about something, it is merely just a “recollecting” what our soul’s have learned in the past. This idea is essentially the basis of the argument between Socrates and Meno. Socrates tries to prove this to Meno by calling over one of Meno’s servant and confirms that the boy has no knowledge of mathematics. At first, the boy seemed to have no knowledge about Socrates problem. But, through step-by-step questions, the boy was able to provide a correct answer to Socrates problem. Therefore, Socrates states that, since he had no knowledge of geometry in his life, he must have already known it and he was able to…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Confucian Virtue Ethics
    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Confucian Virtue Ethics

    Finally I argue that the evidence produced and discussed at length within the thesis provides abundant evidence for strong similarities in Aristotle and Confucius’s outlooks concerning ethics. Emerging from the point that both of their works can be classified as examples of virtue ethics and building upon the numerous areas of convergence between them too it is clear that both Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics can be discussed in terms with each other and are not exclusionary of the ideas or concepts, nor the internal workings, of the other. With this, then, two very different cultural and historical contexts are shown to be able to give rise to ethical systems which are in no way mutually unintelligible despite not having all the same…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Socrates And Meno Comparison
    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Socrates And Meno Comparison

    Meno starts the discussion by stating that he knows what virtue is and how to acquire it. He makes claims of what virtue is and the ways to attain it, like the idea that i can be taught. An example that rejects this claim is that of children…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics