La psicología moral de Sócrates

Abstract

Although in the Apology Socrates claims that he goes around exhorting people to moral excellence, in the dialogues we never see him exhorting anyone, but only examining definitions of virtue. We can understand Socrates’ claim by appreciating his intellectualism: he believes that human beings naturally seek the good; only by knowing what is good can they achieve it. According to this view, the soul can be likened to a set of propositions. The soul can achieve the good only if all the propositions are consistent. On this model many of Socrates’ paradoxical views make sense. Moral agents do not need exhortation but logical examination; virtue is not teachable, but it is achievable through constant examination.