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Chapter 1 - Socrates as Exemplar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2021

Nicholas D. Smith
Nicholas D. Smith
Affiliation:
Lewis and Clark College, Portland
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Summary

Explores Plato's hagiography of Socrates as one who is both an exemplary human being and imperfect in knowledge, virtue, and happiness. The way in which Socrates is an exemplar is not by achieving a standard of perfection, but by living a life dedicated to self-improvement in the most important things. Socrates sincerely acknowledges his own ignorance, but engages in dedicated inquiry in such a way as to mitigate that ignorance. By improving his cognitive condition, Socrates also improves his ethical condition. He becomes more virtuous and happier by both avoiding those errors that are avoidable and practicing the activities that can improve one’s life.

Keywords

Socratesexemplarcraftvirtueignorancehappiness
Type
Chapter
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Socrates on Self-Improvement
Knowledge, Virtue, and Happiness
 , pp. 1 - 20
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Socrates as Exemplar
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.002
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  • Socrates as Exemplar
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Socrates as Exemplar
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.002
Available formats
×