The unity of courage and wisdom in Plato’s Protagoras

Abstract

The doctrine of the unity of the ‘virtues’ is one of the themes in Plato’s dialogues. It is a doctrine which has been extensively studied and with various interpretations to the thesis contained therein. In the Protagoras Socrates argues for the unity of the ‘virtues’ whereby all are one. One cannot have one of these ‘virtues’ without having all of the rest. In 349d-351b he puts the first argument for the unity of courage with wisdom. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between these two ‘virtues’. The key to understand Socrates’ position lies in exposing the confusion which exists in the debate whereby knowledge, which is used interchangeably for wisdom, is equated to courage.