Can virtue be taught? Moral virtue is learned by repetition; intellec- tual virtue can be taught and is the appropriate concern of the schools. Moral virtue is acquired, if it is acquired at all, at a very early age.
Why virtue can be taught?
Virtue may be learned through personal experience . In this example, the “teacher” would be both life experiences and the reflective nature of the learner. There is still another form of learning. A man can learn, even if he cannot offer an explanation of how he learned or of what he exactly knows.
Can virtue be taught Aristotle?
Aristotle is quite clear that he does not think virtue can be taught in a classroom or by means of argument . His Ethics, then, is not designed to make people good, but rather to explain what is good, why it is good, and how we might set about building societies and institutions that might inculcate this goodness.
Who says virtue can be taught?
But Socrates teaches (i.e., reminds) Meno that virtue is knowledge; virtue, therefore, can be taught. Thessaly,” Historia 35 (1986): 387–404, for an analysis of the (gossipy and unreliable) sources upon which all such reports rest.
Can virtue be taught philosophy?
ln other words, moral virtue appears to be the product of habits formed early in family, class, neighborhood; while intellectual virtue may be taught through instruction in philosophy, literature, history, and related disciplines .
Is virtue learned or taught?
Moral virtue is learned by repetition ; intellec- tual virtue can be taught and is the appropriate concern of the schools. Moral virtue is acquired, if it is acquired at all, at a very early age.
Is virtue taught or innate?
While the theory that learning is recollection suggests that an essential basis for wisdom and virtue is innate , Socrates also reminds Meno that any such basis in nature would still require development through experience (89b).
How do we learn virtue?
Virtues are developed through learning and through practice . As the ancient philosopher Aristotle suggested, a person can improve his or her character by practicing self-discipline, while a good character can be corrupted by repeated self-indulgence.
Can virtue be taught Protagoras?
If virtue is knowledge, then it can be taught . Thus, both Protagoras and Socrates end up arguing the opposite of their positions at the beginning of the text, and the dialogue ends with Socrates complaining about a missed appointment.
Are we born with virtue?
Character traits are not innate– we were not born with them . Thus infants are neither virtuous nor vicious. 2) formed as a result of more or less freely selected actions of a certain kind. We are not born honest or liars, but we become so by repeatedly telling the truth or by repeatedly lying.
Why does Socrates say virtue Cannot be taught?
Therefore, since virtue cannot be taught, it cannot be a kind of knowledge since knowledge is teachable . Socrates then posits that the deeds of virtuous men could be the result of “true opinion” (97c). Meno takes issue that those with true opinions would only be correct in action and view some of the time (97c).
Why does Socrates believe virtue Cannot be taught?
Socrates claims that virtue cannot be taught because there are no teachers of virtue at 96c-d due to various leaps of logic and reason .
Why can virtue be taught Meno?
Meno, remembering the two hypotheses proposed by Socrates, happily concludes that, since virtue is knowledge , people must learn it by being taught.
Is virtue teachable Plato?
In Plato’s dialogues, Socrates and his interlocutors wrestle with the idea that virtue is knowledge. The claim is deeply compelling. If virtue is knowledge, virtue is teachable and vice is a form of ignorance.
Can you tell me Socrates can virtue be taught or is it not teachable but the result of practice or is it neither of these but men possess it by nature or?
In Plato’s Meno, Meno begins with the question, “Can you tell me, Socrates, can virtue be taught? Or is it not teachable but the result of practice, or is it neither of these, but men possess it by nature or in some other way? ” (70a).
What does Plato say about virtue?
Like most other ancient philosophers, Plato maintains a virtue-based eudaemonistic conception of ethics. That is to say, happiness or well-being (eudaimonia) is the highest aim of moral thought and conduct, and the virtues (aretê: ‘excellence’) are the requisite skills and dispositions needed to attain it .
Why are there no teachers of virtue?
WHY ARE THERE NO EXPERT TEACHERS OF VIRTUE? Early in the Protagoras, Socrates stated that there are no expert teachers of virtue. ‘ He concluded that virtue cannot be taught, since otherwise there would be experts to teach it .
Is knowledge a virtue?
Description: In early Plato, Socrates advances two theses regarding virtue. He suggests that virtue is a kind of knowledge , similar to the expertise involved in a craft; and he suggests that the five virtues (wisdom, temperance, courage, justice and piety) form a unity.
What did Socrates say about virtue?
According to Socrates, “ Virtue is knowledge ” because through virtue you can live your life in the best possible manner.
What does virtue mean in philosophy?
Virtue (Latin: virtus) is moral excellence . A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards: doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.
How do you teach children virtues?
- Respecting Others Is An Important Trait. ...
- Saying Sorry Is Needed To Strengthen Relationships. ...
- Teach Kids That Others Have Feelings, Too. ...
- Being Honest In Every Situation Is Valuable. ...
- Seeking Justice & Speaking Up Is A Virtue. ...
- Being Independent Is A Virtue Kids Should Learn.
Who decides what a virtue is?
An agent-based theory emphasizes that virtues are determined by common-sense intuitions that we as observers judge to be admirable traits in other people.
What makes a person virtuous?
Virtue is defined as “the quality of moral excellence, righteousness, and responsibility” (Pg. 73) While studying what makes a virtuous person their character rather than actions are studied. Honesty, courage, moderation, compassion, wisdom and loyalty are a few examples of the characteristics of a virtuous person.
What does Protagoras teach about virtue?
Knowledge. The Protagoras provides what is probably the best exposition of a central doctrine of Socratic philosophy: that virtue is knowledge , and that evil is merely another name for ignorance. This makes comprehensible the immense importance Socrates (and also Plato) grants to the subject of education.
Is a virtue means?
Definition of virtue
1a : conformity to a standard of right : morality. b : a particular moral excellence. 2 : a beneficial quality or power of a thing. 3 : manly strength or courage : valor.
Does virtue mean virginity?
chastity; virginity : to lose one’s virtue. a particular moral excellence. Compare cardinal virtues, natural virtue, theological virtue. a good or admirable quality or property: the virtue of knowing one’s weaknesses.
Can morals be taught?
On the one hand, ethics are an extension of a person’s conscience and moral behavior and, therefore, are learned through personal experiences and influences. However, research by foremost psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg found that ethics can be taught simply through instruction .
Why is it difficult to be a person of virtue?
According to Aristotle, it is difficult to ,be virtuous if you aren’t in the habit of being virtuous . He notes that if you aren’t virtuous, vice is a source of pleasure, but if you are virtuous, vice is a source of pain. Thus, the more virtuous you are, the easier it is to be virtuous.
What are the two kinds of virtue?
What Meno says about virtue?
Now Meno gives an answer about what virtue is: “ to desire beautiful things and have the power to acquire them ” (77b). Socrates goes to work on the answer. He says that someone desiring beautiful things desires good things, thus shifting the focus. Then he asks whether anyone can desire bad things.
How do we acquire the virtues according to Aristotle?
Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, which are vices. We learn moral virtue primarily through habit and practice rather than through reasoning and instruction.
What way can knowledge become a source of virtue?
How do I become virtuous to Plato?
Plato believes, as we have already seen, that in order to gain virtue your soul must be in some sort of balance, reason guiding thought and action, with appetite suppressed . He says in the Republic that in order to achieve this correct balance one must have the correct upbringing.
How can we learn virtue?
Virtues are developed through learning and through practice . As the ancient philosopher Aristotle suggested, a person can improve his or her character by practicing self-discipline, while a good character can be corrupted by repeated self-indulgence.
What is virtue ethics in teaching?
These innate values define the practice of teaching through knowledge and the fundamental principles or virtues. Virtue ethics focuses primarily on virtues, or the goodness or the rightness of things, ideas, concepts, theories or principles .
How do you develop character virtues?
In order to be of good character, one must know the good, act in morally good ways, and be disposed and inclined toward the good through the development of virtues.
