Mena and Phaedo: Platonic dialogues on virtue and immortality

Mena and Phaedo

There are in-text citations from the two Plato sources I used. You cannot get me the text for additional in-text citations. Unless you get me some quotes, the assignment is finished.

In a number of Plato's works, there is an inherent relationship between the concept of true virtue and wisdom. This fact is demonstrated most eminently within the Socratic dialogues, particularly within the dialogues known as Meno and Phaedo. Although it would perhaps be inaccurate to say that wisdom is synonymous with virtue per se, a good deal of the definition of virtue is the fact that it requires a copious amount of wisdom. In understanding this inherent relationship between these two important concepts and how virtue is largely defined as a quality or an effect of wisdom, it is necessary to understand some basic facts about Plato's dialogues regarding Socrates. Specifically, it is necessary to know the general sequencing of these works. Meno was written prior to Plato's writing of Phaedo. As such, the general tenet that true virtue requires certain aspects of wisdom is explicitly stated within the former, and alluded to in the latter. A thorough analysis of both of these works of literature confirms the fact that wisdom plays a vital component of the conception of virtue.

In many ways, there are two principle concerns addressed in Plato's early dialogue of Meno. The first of these is the idea of whether or not things can actually be defined -- especially things that most people assume that they know -- whereas the second is whether or not Socrates and his student Meno can actually define virtue. In this respect, this work functions as one of the earliest to actually denote the Socratic processes of attempting to learn things through questioning and deconstructing certain aspects of life. In seeking to define virtue then, Meno provides a number of definitions which merely allude to certain facets of virtue's true definition, and which do not actually define it. Socrates, however, posits the viewpoint that there is a degree of divinity associated with virtue, and that in recollecting knowledge one is actually demonstrating virtuous qualities. Therefore, the philosopher links aspects of the soul (which implies divinity) and its propensity towards prudence in terms of knowledge and understanding with the concept of what virtue or goodness actually is. Wisdom, then, is merely an effect of the notion of the soul and the soul's everlasting life due to the divinity, and is the principle component in what virtue is. Virtue requires wisdom -- the former's definition largely consists of the qualities of the latter.

Still, there is a crucial distinction made in the Meno between wisdom and knowledge as they relate to the definition of virtue. Knowledge, of course, is acquired through erudition and is didactic in nature. Individuals can learn knowledge. Wisdom, however, is different from knowledge in that in most cases (such as those which do not apply to virtue) wisdom is merely the application of knowledge or of intelligence. However, in understanding wisdom's role as a chief defining attribute of true virtue, wisdom is more manifest as a correct opinion (Plato). In this respect there is again a fairly enigmatic, divine aspect of wisdom as evinced by the fact that Socrates roundly suggests that wisdom is not acquired through learning and is instead bestowed by the divine. In fact, Socrates posits the idea in Meno that wisdom (as it relates to the definitive quality of virtue) is actually garnered and manifest "without understanding" (Plato), which alludes to the fact that although Socrates and his disciple have defined large aspects of the notion of true virtue, that there is an ineffable aspect of this concept (directly relating to the acquiring of wisdom) to it as well.