Philology

"And do you regard that man as lacking in temperance or justice and holiness to whom alone belongs the ability to deal circumspectly with both gods and men with respect to both the fearful and its opposite, and to provide himself with good things through his knowledge of how to associate with them correctly?" (Laches, 199d)

In this part of the Laches chapter, Socrates explains that courage is one of the expressions of virtue. He is asking Nicias, if it was not true that man - who is by nature lacking the necessary virtues, but is equipped with the free will, enabling him to make the decision to acquire and use knowledge, - is the sole being that is able to deal with both his fellow men and the divine; and if he follows the right rules with the necessary virtue originating from the right knowledge, he is able to create good around him and benefit from his righteous deeds.

I agree with Socrates’ position, believing that being virtuous is a fundamental requirement for success in life. In order to know the good/beneficial from the bad/harmful, man needs knowledge and the right kind of knowledge will translate into wisdom, temperance, justice, courage and piety as guidelines in his actions. Humans are the only beings that are equipped with a free will, and are able to make decisions on: 1. to acquire different kinds of knowledge, 2. the way they use their knowledge, 3. the path they want to follow. Their guidance comes from their experience in the dealing with others, as well as their connection with the divine (spirituality) - both areas are essential for a wholesome human life. This can be proven by the introduction of religion related practices in the treatment of mental illness to which Dr Kenneth I. Pargament, a leading expert in this field, refers to in his recent APA interview. (Pargament 2013). Consequently, the person, who follows the guidelines in the right dealing with others and with the divine, will lead a more beneficial and sane life, for himself and those around him.

One could argue that there are many examples of men that live a comfortable and pleasurable life, based on injustice and wrongdoing, like for example those, who illegally acquire power and riches, are abusing others, are taking advantage of their positions, and unethically hold on to them. My answer to those would be that those people’s lives have not come to an end yet, and that they might have to face the consequences of their unjust deeds one day, when they have accumulated many of them, and the punishment will be more severe, because of the many chances they had over the time to repent and correct their actions. I would also argue that, -in accordance with Socrates, who mentioned the divine in his statement - that there is a life after physical death, and that in this case some or all of their punishment could occur in the afterlife.




Work Cited:
Pargament, Kenneth. "What Role Do Religion and Spirituality Play In Mental Health?" American Psychological Association, press release edition, sec. news, March 22, 2013. (accessed November 24, 2013).