Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to present an interpretation of what Socrates understood by being good for a human being. Starting from the evidence in the Symposium that Socrates himself was a phronimos and sophron person, I seek to show how Socratic ethics is centered on the thesis of the (1) identity of virtue and knowledge, which I articulate with the theme of (2) Socratic ignorance, and (3) the role of Socrates as an educator, to display how Socrates attempted to help people to improve themselves. In order to explore the core of Socratic moral thought, I take into account Penner’s explanation of Socratic intellectualism endorsing his description of what being good for a person means, but not following his conclusions. Then I argue that even if Socrates had held moral beliefs and been to a certain degree wise and virtuous, the moral knowledge, virtue, wisdom or the science of the good that only the gods completely master should not be ascribed to him. Socrates often made profession of ignorance. In the Apology , the knowledge that he admits to having and that makes him wiser than the others is “human wisdom”, that is, the recognition of his own ignorance and, in general, human ignorance about how to live well. Endowed with this self-knowledge, Socrates assumed the educational task to try to free people from the worst ignorance: not to know and to think that you know. Through philosophy practiced as examination by refutation ( elenchos ), he did his best to lead his fellows to self-knowledge, to take care of their souls, to dedicate themselves to phronesis , truth, and perfection of soul, in sum, to be prudent; this is the only way in which a person would do well, be good and happy. Keywords: Socrates, virtue, knowledge, being good.
Highlights
Alcibiades’ speech, in Plato’s Symposium, indicates that Socrates3 was no ignorant inquirer, but a person endowed with soundness of mind (216d), prudence, courage, and strength (219d), moral qualities and virtues that he – in so far as he possessed them – acquired or developed by constantly examining himself and others
The emphasis put on sophrosune and phronesis4 suggests that Socrates’ conception of a virtuous and good life was centered on the idea that only knowledge can make us better
In order to make sense of what Socrates means by being good as a human being, I will address the theme of (1) the identity between virtue and knowledge, which I seek to articulate with the theme of (2) Socratic ignorance, and (3) the role of Socrates as an educator, to show that, since the good life is based on the knowledge which is virtue, neither Socrates nor anyone else master the science that secures happiness, he was a good human being to the extent that he pursued virtue and was a prudent and thoughtful person, teaching others to do the same; so someone can be good by being prudent, acting with phronesis and sophrosune
Summary
Alcibiades’ speech, in Plato’s Symposium, indicates that Socrates was no ignorant inquirer, but a person endowed with soundness of mind (sophrosune) (216d), prudence (phronesis), courage (andreia), and strength (karteria) (219d), moral qualities and virtues that he – in so far as he possessed them – acquired or developed by constantly examining himself and others. The emphasis put on sophrosune and phronesis suggests that Socrates’ conception of a virtuous and good life was centered on the idea that only knowledge can make us better. In order to make sense of what Socrates means by being good as a human being, I will address the theme of (1) the identity between virtue and knowledge, which I seek to articulate with the theme of (2) Socratic ignorance, and (3) the role of Socrates as an educator, to show that, since the good life is based on the knowledge which is virtue, neither Socrates nor anyone else master the science that secures happiness, he was a good human being to the extent that he pursued virtue and was a prudent and thoughtful person, teaching others to do the same; so someone can be good by being prudent, acting with phronesis and sophrosune
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