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...

Laches initially misunderstands this definition of courage as being the ability to tell the future, and assumes from Nicias' definition that soothsayers must be courageous. Nicias corrects him and adds a layer of complexity to his definition by claiming that it is not the knowledge of future events that makes a man courageous, but the knowledge of whether or not those events will bring about good or bad consequences and therefore might be reasons for fear or hope. When Socrates points out that Nicias' definition excludes the wild beasts that are generally considered to be emblems of courage, like the lion and the boar, Laches is thrilled that Nicias has been proven wrong. Nicias, however, denies the courage of these beasts, calling their actions merely "fearless and senseless" (30).
While Nicias' explanation of animal actions does allow him to maintain his definition of courage, Laches and Socrates…