Meno and Phaedo the Role

Meno and Phaedo The Role of Wisdom in true Virtue according to Meno and the Phaedo The roles of wisdom and virtue in human life have enjoyed considerable discussion in Plato's works before the Meno and Phaedo dialogues were written. Hence, the two works can be seen as a culmination of these concepts in the mind of Plato. Furthermore, the way in which wisdom and virtue are expounded in these works should also be considered in the context of previous explanations in Plato's works.

Meno for example appears to attach a very simplistic and literal meaning to the value of wisdom. He regards it as knowledge that can be taught. He follows Aristotle's early assertion that "virtue is wisdom" with a statement to the effect that virtue can therefore also be taught. According to Roslyn Weiss (137), for example, Meno is a somewhat simple soul, but highly aware of this and willing to learn. He therefore eagerly accepts Socrates' assessment of virtue as equal to wisdom.

However, Socrates has something more subtle in mind with the concept of wisdom. Because, according to the philosopher, virtue does not come by nature, it can be assumed that wisdom is not a natural process either. This assertion is based upon the fact that not all human beings have the same amount of virtue or wisdom, and these concepts are therefore the result of targeted effort. In order to explain this further, Socrates makes an important distinction between learning and teaching. Virtue and wisdom come by learning.

It cannot however be taught by one specific teacher. It develops through life and experience. This is where Meno diverges strongly from Socrates in his insistence that both virtue and wisdom must be elements that can be taught. He makes not distinction between learning and teaching (Weiss 138) or between wisdom and knowledge. These concepts are all equal to him. He is therefore further delighted by the philosopher's assertion that virtue and wisdom are not only equal, but that they arrive by a process of learning.

It appears that he entirely misunderstands the philosopher's concept of virtue and wisdom. In previous works, and most notably the Republic, Aristotle explicated his philosophy of virtue and the role of wisdom in it. Indeed, wisdom itself is one of the four main virtues. In his dialogue with Meno, Aristotle notes that "virtue is a quality of the soul." He constructs this as equal with wisdom, as virtue itself is concerned with being profitable rather than harmful.

Aristotle arrives at this conclusion by considering that none of the soul's qualities can be seen as either harmful or profitable without the addition of virtue. Similarly, the addition of wisdom brings profit rather than harm. Hence, in imposing the same qualities upon the soul, virtue and wisdom are equal. In this sense, Plato's concept of wisdom connects with his earlier views on reason, while virtue is connected with the philosopher's concept of morality.

In the Republic, Plato expounds the soul as consisting of three basic energies; reason, emotion and appetite. Emotion and appetite are the lower passions and are to be subjected to reason. This then leads Plato to a consideration of how morality can be applied to reason. The basis of morality -- or virtue -- for the philosopher is happiness. Reason dictates that the greatest joy (or the highest good) is in living according to the dictates of virtue.

Hence, if an individual wishes to be ultimately happy, regardless of external circumstances or emotion, will engage in moral actions. As such, both wisdom and virtue work together to attain happiness. Indeed, wisdom is therefore virtue, as it encourages the pursuit of happiness by means of moral action. It is then the culmination of this wisdom as virtue that enables Socrates to meet his trial and death with a demeanor of calm and poise.

Socrates' soul is ordered by means of his philosophy of reason and morality; his reason rules his emotions and his passions. Hence he is able to be kind and charitable to his accusers in the Apology, despite their harsh treatment of him. Socrates cannot be harmed by the disordered unhappiness of others, because he has attained the "highest good," which is inner happiness that is unphased by tragedy, harm, or even the prospect of certain death.

The Phaedo is a post-mortem account of Socrates' death by Phaedo, who is said to have shared the philosopher's last hours. Phaedo reports Socrates as saying, "O my judges, and show that he who has lived as a true philosopher has reason to be of good cheer when he is about to die, and that after death he may hope to receive the greatest good in the other world." The philosopher is calm when contemplating death, because for him it is the ultimate culmination of both virtue and wisdom.

These two are the highest philosophical pursuit, while all other goods are merely representations that are subject to.