Socrates and the beginnings of moral philosophy

Abstract

Here we have two of the clearest statements of a tradition that stretches from perhaps as early as Aristotle2 to the present day:3 moral philosophy begins with Socrates.Nevertheless, this tradition should strike us as odd. In this very volume we have seen instances of moral philosophy-or at least a reasonable facsimile of it —predating Socrates. The Pythagoreans appear to be committed to something like a moral philosophy, while many of the so-called ‘natural philosophers’ appear to have moral commitments as only a quick glance at their fragments makes clear. Moreover, a number of philosophers flourishing virtually contemporaneously with Socrates would seem to have an equal claim to fathering moral philosophy. The sophists-Protagoras, Gorgias, et al-certainlyseem to have moral views that rival Socrates’, while the fragments of Democritus exhibit a moral theory.