"Is Virtue Teachable": An Interpretation of Protagoras and Meno

Abstract

Whether virtue is teachable or not is a prerequisite question that moral education theories must answer. Throughout the Protagoras and the Meno, Socrates debates on the theme of "Virtue", and Socrates puts forward the proposition of moral education that "Virtue is Knowledge" in the dialogues. Throughout the text, however, Socrates expresses himself differently in different contexts, which leads to a paradox that is essentially a difference in the understanding of "teaching". Unlike the emotional theory of moral education held by the sophists, Socrates elevates virtue to a universal meaning and proposes a rational theory of moral education, and there is a great tension between the two theories. In today's moral education, the best way to achieve the best results in moral education is to look at and apply theories dialectically without being partial to one or the other.