Journal of Education and Human Development

Teaching Good Virtues in Protagoras
Dr. Sobhi Rayan

Abstract
This article deals with the issue of learning good moral virtues (arêtê), and analyses the differencesin attitude towards moral virtues between Socrates and Protagoras. In regard to the possibility of learning virtues, Socrates uses the term "learning" in relation to "teaching," whereas “learning” for Protagoras means ”education.” This implies that Socrates denies the possibility of“teaching virtues” if it means “education of values.” However, Protagoras claims that it is possible to teach virtues only if “virtues” means “education of values” and not teaching “epistemological content.” Socrates uses the “mind” as a means of discussing the topic of virtue. He tries to transfer the search for real “facts” from “what exists” into “what should exist” – from the “real” into the ”ideal.” The subject of this search is the “subject itself” or “essence of things.” However, for Protagoras, the measure is the knowing self that exists outside of the subject.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v3n4a31