Meno-Plato Essay

Meno begins his quest to have Socrates explain chastity by reputation by stating that having beautiful functions is to have integrity. So I say that justness is to disposition beautiful things and have the power to acquire them (77b). To help him to gain that this state manpowert is non complete, Socrates inquires about specific char workeristics that might comprise having something beautiful. These diagnostics hold wealth, a position of honor, respectableice, and the hunting of happiness.Only in perfect cabal to all of these specific characteristics assert virtue as a exclusively (77a) To desire beautiful things means to secure a advantageously thing for unrivalledself, according to Socrates. Under this explanation, all men desire good things and the men who desire bad things want to attain bad things for some eudaemonia despite the fact that misery is a potential result. Therefore the act of desiring is with the intention of pursuing happiness as a virtue.No one the n wants what is bad, Meno, unless he wants to be such. For what else is being miserable but to desire bad things and secure them? (78a). This characteristic of attempting to have happiness through securing good things and having power over them is a component of virtue as a whole (77a). Wealth and positions of power, chthonian Socrates definition of virtue as a whole (77a), be only considered to be components of the temperament of virtue if they are accomplished through just means.It seems then that the acquisition must be accompanied by jurist or moderation or piousness or some other part of virtue if it is non, it will not be virtue, even though it provides good things. (78d-e) this reveals that the intention and process of acquiring good things is important to the nature of virtue as a whole. Without just process wealth nor positions of honor are not attributes of virtue because heedless of their moment as good or beautiful, they cannot be truly apprehended as virtuous w ithout morally righteous intentions.Then to provide these goods would not be virtue allmore than not to provide these goods would not to be virtue any more than not to provide them, but obviously whatever is done with justice will be virtue (79a) justice and good intention are required to be the basis of any good thing in order for it to be considered truly virtuous. However, in true response to Menos search to know the nature of virtue Socrates states that although that virtue as a whole is still under question.In order to understand virtue you must understand each characteristic that makes up virtue. that by answering in terms of the parts of virtue you can make its nature clear (79e) Virtue is not be by any one definition, rather it is the characteristics and process of attaining these characteristics that comprises the nature of virtue. Socrates refutes Menos assertion that to attain beautiful things is to have virtue.Through this rejection he goes on to examine this differen ces between wanting good and beautiful things and, attaining bad things under the belief or idea that they are, in some way, good. However, having good things is not enough. These good things must be attained justly otherwise their significance to virtue as a whole (77a) is obsolete. These characteristics of wealth, a position of honor, justice, and the pursuit of happiness are mutually inclusive and together, begin to describe the nature of virtue.