Laches
Courage as Knowledge in the Laches
In the dialogue Laches, Socrates aids Nicias and Laches in advising their friend on the proper instruction of young men. In his usual fashion, Socrates gently turns the discussion from a simple question of whether or not a young man should study the art of fighting in armor to a more profound examination of the nature of courage. He asks Laches and Nicias both to offer their arguments for what constitutes courage. Laches makes an argument for the standard definition of courage: bravery in the face of danger and the "endurance of the soul" (Plato, 20). Socrates dismantles this argument by pointing out that both of these qualities can lead to foolishness as well as courage. Nicias makes a more sophisticated argument -- one that leaves the whole party in confusion at the end of the dialogue.
Nicias argues that courage is a type of knowledge, specifically the knowledge of "that which inspires...
The inferior soldier knows that he is likely to die, but he will endure in the war and fight anyway. His knowledge of fact is that he is likely to die; his knowledge of value is that he can increase his odds of survival with endurance in fighting. The superior soldier knows that he is likely to win and will endure because of this likelihood. His knowledge of fact
They do not occupy space. Nevertheless, although the Form of a circle has never been seen -- -indeed, could never be seen -- -mathematicians and others do in fact know what a circle is. That they can define a circle is evidence that they know what it is. For Plato, therefore, the Form "circularity" exists, but not in the physical world of space and time. It exists as a
It is this activation of the sleeping animal life-force, and its conjugation with the higher human intellect which idealizes aspects of life, which gives passion its unique power and generativity. It is vital to clarify this core essence by comparison. Passion is different from lust, because lust is the animal awakening without being joined with the idealization of the soul. Dedication is different from lust because it is merely the
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