One theme that appears to be prevalent throughout classical philosophy is the importance of virtue and how one can obtain it. Much of Plato’s Meno and Augustine’s On Free Choice of the Will discusses each philosopher’s thought process on how virtue is gained and how one could be more virtuous than another. In fact, many of their arguments regarding virtue have similarities to each other. In Plato’s Meno, Socrates and Meno come to the conclusion that virtue is not innate must be instilled in humans as a gift form the gods. In his text, Augustine believes that while God is the creator of all things, he is not responsible for the creation of evil and that one is evil by free choice of will. If one has good will, then he will automatically gain virtue. While both philosophers argue their beliefs extensively and in depth, I believe that Augustine has created a stronger and more clear argument for his opinions of virtue because…
In regard to the similarities between the texts, both philosophers discuss knowledge in their search to explain virtue. Socrates and Augustine take a similar standpoint to each other on the fact that learning and wisdom is full of good. At one point in Meno, Socrates and Meno talk about how if “if there is nothing good that knowledge does not encompass, we would be right to suspect that [virtue] is a kind of knowledge” (Meno 87d). Comparably, in the beginning of Book One in Augustine’s On Free Choice of the Will, he and Evodius discuss the fact that learning can only be good and that, “doing evil is nothing but turning away from learning” (Augustine pg. 2) This is because we cannot come to know evil things. Understanding is also good and everyone who learns; understands, and those who understand are only doing good. Augustine notes that there is no such thing as a teacher of evil: “If he is evil, he is no teacher; and if he is a teacher, then he is not evil” (Augustine pg. 3). This can be compared to Socrates comment in Plato’s Meno that there are no teachers of virtue. Socrates gives examples of men in Athens who are known for being virtuous, as well as highly skilled in their trade. One of men he describes is the great horseman Themistocles, who is well respected in the community for being wise and righteous. However, the men agree that no one would ever say the same about his son, Cleophantus. Socrates asks the question: “Are we to believe that he wanted to educate his son in those other things but not to do better than his neighbors in that skill which he himself possessed, if indeed virtue can be taught?” (Meno 93e). If a virtuous man who also happened to be particularly talented in his trade has a son, presumably he would choose to teach him how to be virtuous before teaching him how to be skilled in his craft. Themistocles was unable to teach his son to be virtuous, therefore supporting Socrates’ hypothesis.
While there are some like aspects in the two texts, there are also several arguments that the philosophers would not agree on. In my opinion, Meno can be difficult to follow as Meno and Socrates tend to change their arguments throughout the course of the text. In the end of the lengthy debate in Meno, Socrates comes to the conclusion that since virtue cannot be a form of knowledge, that “virtue appears to be present in those of us who may possess it as a gift from the gods” (Meno 100b). While religion and worship of the gods were very important during that time in society, I think that it is farfetched to claim that our virtue solely depends on whether or not a god has granted us with a gift. Augustine’s idea, to my mind, appears to make more sense or be more likely. The dialogue is more clearly laid out and less erratic than Meno. While his arguments may not be fully agreeable, I believe that overall, he has a more sound explanation. Augustine uses the idea of God in his arguments as well, but in the end, concludes that it is our own free choice of the will to decide whether we are evil or not. Those who choose reason over desire have good will, which is the will to attain the highest wisdom possible and to live honorable lives. People who have good will automatically obtain virtues like justice, temperance, and fortitude. A virtuous mind cannot be taken over by anything lesser and can only be be possessed by something stronger. Inferior things cannot take over a virtuous mind because they are not strong enough to influence it. According to Augustine, those who are virtuous cannot be corrupted because they are stronger. I believe that there is a lot of truth to that statement. Usually those who have good morals tend to stick with them and are not easily persuaded to think differently.
Both Plato’s Meno and Augustine’s On Free Choice of the Will share compelling ideas on virtue and how humans acquire it. Through reading the arguments, it is apparent that the philosophers