Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times
Through a reading of the Myth of Er and Socrates' conversation with Cephalus, I will argue that merely conventional virtue is highly unstable and unreliable. Virtue acquired by convention proves foundationless outside the confines of the political regime that establishes those conventions, and...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Coimbra University Press
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Plato |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/platojournal/article/view/2112 |
| _version_ | 1811319136253378560 |
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| author | Paul Joseph DiRado |
| author_facet | Paul Joseph DiRado |
| author_sort | Paul Joseph DiRado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Through a reading of the Myth of Er and Socrates' conversation with Cephalus, I will argue that merely conventional virtue is highly unstable and unreliable. Virtue acquired by convention proves foundationless outside the confines of the political regime that establishes those conventions, and a tendency toward an unreflective moral complacency on the part of the conventionally virtuous leaves them in particular danger of committing unjust actions. Socrates recommends the study of philosophy because it can ground conventionally acquired virtue and, even more importantly, because it is capable of shaking the moral complacency that afflicts the conventionally virtuous.
Keywords: Republic, conventional virtue, Cephalus, Myth of Er, Ancient Political philosophy, relation between convention and philosophy |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:37:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe2974a392b54fb2a411fe3142ee4e39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7567 2183-4105 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:37:46Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
| publisher | Coimbra University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plato |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe2974a392b54fb2a411fe3142ee4e392022-12-22T02:46:37ZengCoimbra University PressPlato2079-75672183-41052015-07-011410.14195/2183-4105_14_5Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous TimesPaul Joseph DiRado0University of KentuckyThrough a reading of the Myth of Er and Socrates' conversation with Cephalus, I will argue that merely conventional virtue is highly unstable and unreliable. Virtue acquired by convention proves foundationless outside the confines of the political regime that establishes those conventions, and a tendency toward an unreflective moral complacency on the part of the conventionally virtuous leaves them in particular danger of committing unjust actions. Socrates recommends the study of philosophy because it can ground conventionally acquired virtue and, even more importantly, because it is capable of shaking the moral complacency that afflicts the conventionally virtuous. Keywords: Republic, conventional virtue, Cephalus, Myth of Er, Ancient Political philosophy, relation between convention and philosophyhttps://impactum-journals.uc.pt/platojournal/article/view/2112Republicconventional virtueCeph - alusMyth of Erancient political philosophyrelation between convention and philosophy |
| spellingShingle | Paul Joseph DiRado Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times Plato Republic conventional virtue Ceph - alus Myth of Er ancient political philosophy relation between convention and philosophy |
| title | Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times |
| title_full | Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times |
| title_fullStr | Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times |
| title_short | Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times |
| title_sort | cephalus the myth of er and remaining virtuous in unvirtuous times |
| topic | Republic conventional virtue Ceph - alus Myth of Er ancient political philosophy relation between convention and philosophy |
| url | https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/platojournal/article/view/2112 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pauljosephdirado cephalusthemythoferandremainingvirtuousinunvirtuoustimes |