Moral Intellectualism in The Light of Protagoras 310a–314c
Keywords:
Moral Intellectualism, Practical Rationality, Ancient Ethics, Plato, Socrates, ProtagorasAbstract
In the discussion of Moral Intellectualism in the Protagoras, attention is not usually
paid to how the narrative construction guides and complements the philosophical
argument. In this article, I analyze the Section of Hippocrates (310a–314c) and argue
that it provides a relevant guidance for the interpretation of Moral Intellectualism.
In this passage, the idea of Moral Knowledge is introduced, but it is constructed as one (i) different from technical-productive knowledge, (ii) that cannot be reduced to
definitional knowledge, and, furthermore, (iii) that cannot be taught without require
a certain type of particular disposition of the learner. I argue these points using an
analysis of three moments: the distinction that Socrates introduces between professional
and general knowledge; the comparison of the sophist with the merchant; and the
contradictory decision to go see Protagoras.
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