greek ethics
The Concept of Ethics among Greeks
1. Athens and Sparta two states
2. Preached Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics emphasizes the role of one's character and the virtues that one's character represents for determining or evaluating ethical behavior. A virtue is a habit or quality that allows the bearer to succeed at his, her, or its purpose.
The first in this regard are the Sophists who were the experts of giving arguments. They taught their students to win the arguments by fair means or foul.
The Sophists promised their pupils success in political debate and increased influence in the affairs of the city. Protagoras, the most famous Sophist most famous of all said that “Man is the measure of all the things.”
He also stated that the foundations of an ethical system needed nothing from the gods or from any metaphysical reality beyond the ordinary world of the senses. Sophists are truly called as Relativist. (i.e., every person has his own morality). Relativism is a doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.
Socrates
Socrates sought a rational basis for ethics and morality, for the practice of right and wrong, good and bad. He did not agree with the Sophists that 'man is the measure of all things' in the sense that what pleases man is right for him and that there is no such thing as the universally good.
To Socrates, “knowledge is the highest good or virtue.” Knowledge of virtue is to lead its practice. A rational understanding of the nature and meaning of goodness, self-control, truth, wisdom and justice is the pre-condition of their being practiced in life. It was the principle of Socrates that no man is voluntarily bad or involuntarily good. Evil is the result of ignorance. Those who have right knowledge cannot go against the principles of virtue.
Socrates thought the good life was one of developing one’s character, not the pursuit of material wealth. He advocated wisdom
1. Athens and Sparta two states
2. Preached Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics emphasizes the role of one's character and the virtues that one's character represents for determining or evaluating ethical behavior. A virtue is a habit or quality that allows the bearer to succeed at his, her, or its purpose.
The first in this regard are the Sophists who were the experts of giving arguments. They taught their students to win the arguments by fair means or foul.
The Sophists promised their pupils success in political debate and increased influence in the affairs of the city. Protagoras, the most famous Sophist most famous of all said that “Man is the measure of all the things.”
He also stated that the foundations of an ethical system needed nothing from the gods or from any metaphysical reality beyond the ordinary world of the senses. Sophists are truly called as Relativist. (i.e., every person has his own morality). Relativism is a doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.
Socrates
Socrates sought a rational basis for ethics and morality, for the practice of right and wrong, good and bad. He did not agree with the Sophists that 'man is the measure of all things' in the sense that what pleases man is right for him and that there is no such thing as the universally good.
To Socrates, “knowledge is the highest good or virtue.” Knowledge of virtue is to lead its practice. A rational understanding of the nature and meaning of goodness, self-control, truth, wisdom and justice is the pre-condition of their being practiced in life. It was the principle of Socrates that no man is voluntarily bad or involuntarily good. Evil is the result of ignorance. Those who have right knowledge cannot go against the principles of virtue.
Socrates thought the good life was one of developing one’s character, not the pursuit of material wealth. He advocated wisdom