I won't have as much time for class
discussion as I would like: mostly lectures from here on out. However,
in preparing the Greek philosophy question for the final exam, it will
really help if you read a few selections from some of the philosophers
we will be discussing.You might find particularly useful Meno, one of Plato's shorter dialogs. You can find online editions at one of the links below:
Can virtue be taught? The apparent answer in this dialogue is no. But does reading the dialogue help at all in understanding/achieving virtue? If so, how?
I think after reading the dialogue I got a little more confused. I get both sides, I can agree with Meno saying that virtue is up to the person, but I can also see how Socrates says virtue is a commonly shared trait. But I still do not know they exact definition of virtue after this reading I think it can be shared among people but in the end its really what you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteLindsey Landenberger
Virtue can't be taught, but it can be learned. It's also both a matter of personal AND social ideas - a person has their own idea of virtue, but it's taken from others' and modified. Virtue isn't something you can really "know" either, it's something like a process, something that develops rather than is simply acquired or not - and you alone are responsible for its development (although it helps to have others to teach you good habits for developing virtue at a young age.)
ReplyDeleteOverall after reading Meno by Plato, I found myself to be quite puzzled by both sides and how they viewed virtue. I see both sides and understand where they each come from, but its difficult to say whether or not virtue can be taught. I think of it more as you choose to learn it and it develops overtime the depending on what you do personally.
ReplyDeleteI felt I got the grasp of both sides' arguments on whether virtue could be taught or if it was up to the person. I'd side more with the latter, but that is not to discourage the former entirely. There is certainly an air of learning virtue from others, hence why wisdom is such a hot commodity and why we focus on philosophers. However, to teach virtue is impossible. It is merely from ones' innate actions that others gleam what they consider to be virtuous, and what one considers to be avoidable.
ReplyDeleteYes the readeing helped me understand. Virtue is not something that you are taught, its something that you do or have because of your desire to do good or your ability to have comapassion. Some people are incapable of compassion, and its not because they have never been shown it, it's because they are just plainly put incapable. Now virtue is a little different, but I'd say they are something you'd want in a hero.
ReplyDeleteAbbigail Patton
Meno says that virtue can be taught but Socrates say that it cannot. His objection is simple. If virtue could be taught there would be teachers of virtue. But there aren't any. It seems to me that virtue can not be taught but can be learned over time.
ReplyDeleteI believe that no one person can teach virtue it is something you need to learn through experiences and not everyone is able to. Because not everyone can learn it and one person cant teach it this is why it is learnable through experiences but not taught in the usual sense.
ReplyDelete