Wisdom as Discussed in Plato’s Meno and Phaedo

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Socrates and Meno on Wisdom
Conclusion
Works cited

Introduction

Meno and Socrates in their dialogue are trying to understand whether the lessons of virtue are teachable. Meno says that there are different virtues in existence, but Socrates argued that each virtue is different. However, the quality of virtue is what is more important than its existence. The debate continues with Meno saying that virtue is being in a position to rule over people. However, Socrates disputed this by saying that it is not virtuous when you have slaved under your power and a ruling can have the consideration as virtuous only if it is just (Bostock 248).

Socrates and Meno on Wisdom

Plato is reported as talkative on wisdom, hence handling this topic about him poses a significant challenge. He argues that in order to understand wisdom, one needs to know its true nature. Socrates says that real wisdom can be found with God and that human wisdom has no value at all. However, Meno argues that respecting wisdom just as Socrates did is important for people to understand its importance (Bostock 248). According to Meno, people assume that they get wisdom from education and life lessons. However, Socrates seems not to agree with the idea by arguing that one can gain knowledge from education but not wisdom.

Socrates drives the idea that virtue cannot be taught because if it could be then people could be having whatever virtue they want (Bostock 248). The practicability of teaching does not make any sense to Socrates. That is why he challenged Meno to define virtue and explain whether it can be learned. Recollection involves things known to individual spirit prior to birth and not just things learned in life. Through this explanation, Socrates says that all things people know are not wisdom, but knowledge further, saying that human beings try to gain it but only God has true wisdom (Scott 12).

The reason why it is hard for human beings to have wisdom is that it requires them to be odd. People who think that they are wise to want to have power and wealth. However, wisdom requires one to be ready to do what is pleasing and helpful to others. In addition to this, wisdom does not relate to being able to carry out various actions but having a prominent state of mind. In addition, Socrates says that an action may be right and its quality determines whether it is an act of wisdom (Scott 12). Meno and Phaedo also argue that wisdom helps in determining the quality of a person’s writing or words because it reflects wisdom. Socrates concluded that wisdom is a virtue having special characteristics than the others (Scott 12).

Conclusion

Debating whether wisdom is a virtue or not can still progress and people can have differing views on the issue. Reflection and contemplation have been associated with wisdom and it can help one in making a wise decision, but it is not always a feature of one. However, they do not determine the wisdom as God has this virtue, but do not apply reflection and contemplation upon activities. Wisdom can still have subdivision into different forms and one thing to keep in mind is that only God has true wisdom independent of any supporting actions.

Works cited

Bostock, David. The soul and immortality in Plato’s Phaedo. Essays on Plato’s Psychology 2001: 241-262. Print.

Scott, Dominic. Recollection and Experience: Plato’s theory of learning and its successors. Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print.

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Wisdom as Discussed in Plato’s Meno and Phaedo

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