Knowledge is Virtue - Thoughts of Socrates
Knowledge is necessary for virtue: As per Socrates, knowledge is necessary to achieve excellence(or virtue). Be it a shoemaker, to make good shoes he must have knowledge of what good shoes are and how to make them. Similarly for life in general, to lead a good life, one needs knowledge of what a good life is composed of. Knowledge will definitely lead to virtue: Also if one has and truly has the knowledge of which actions make for a good life, he shall not do otherwise and shall only take actions that lead to a good life, hence signifying that knowledge will lead to virtue and attaining knowledge is attaining virtue hence, knowledge is virtue. What is a good life? Good life is not pleasure: Some contemporary teachers of Socrates called 'Sophists' preached that the way to attain happiness in life is to pursue the pleasures of it. It is to gain wealth, power, fortune, etc. Sophists preached that doing these was akin to attaining virtue. Socrates however differed from this. ...