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Chapter 4 - Socratic Ignorance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2021

Nicholas D. Smith
Affiliation:
Lewis and Clark College, Portland
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Summary

Given Socratic motivational intellectualism, self-improvement in the ethical domain requires self-improvement in the epistemic domain. Gives the details of Socratic epistemology and indicates the ways in which Socrates supposes we can improve our cognitive conditions. Explains the different sources of ignorance and how these can be controlled. Shows how some etiologies of belief-formation are more reliable than others, and how Socrates thinks we can learn to rely more on the more reliable ones and less on those that are less reliable. Explains how the Socratic “search for definitions” and elenctic refutations are exercises in cognitive self-improvement, which does not simply produce repeated failures, but instead greater comprehension of ethical concepts – even if such comprehension is never complete or perfect for a human being.

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Chapter
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Socrates on Self-Improvement
Knowledge, Virtue, and Happiness
, pp. 68 - 106
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Socratic Ignorance
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.005
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  • Socratic Ignorance
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Socratic Ignorance
  • Nicholas D. Smith, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
  • Book: Socrates on Self-Improvement
  • Online publication: 11 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009025959.005
Available formats
×