نقد ارسطو از نظريه سقراطي - افلاطوني وحدت فضيلت و معرفت

Aristotleʹs Critique of Socratic - Platonic Concept of Virtue (the Unity of Virtue and Knowledge)

The analysis of Virtue and its relationship with knowledge is considered to be one of the important issues in moral philosophy, and the way in which virtue and knowledge is conceived is of significnce in ethics, too. Frankenna thought of virtue as essential to knowledge and maintained that if one can distinguish what is wrong from what is right, nobody can force him or her to act in opposition to his knowledge. After Socrates, other philosophers reacted against this concept of virtue. Plato, Socratesʹ pupil, adopted his masterʹs concept of virtue, but Aristotle, Platoʹs pupil, rejected Socratesʹ concept of virtue and criticized it in detail. This article aims to make some remarks on Aristotleʹs critique of Socratesʹ concept of virtue. These remarks and criticisms seek to explain Aristotle view of the subject in question on the one hand, and cast light on Socratesʹ concept of virtue by taking into consideration certain views on the other. Aristotleʹs most important critique of Socratesʹ concept of virtue is that this concept ignores the effects desires and passions excert on human actions. It is important to note that, Aristotle in one of his critiques of Socratesʹ concept of virtue, states that he is incapable of rejecting Socratesʹ concept of Virtue conclusively and apt to submit it.