Protagoras and Democracy - Essay Example

Protagoras and Democracy: Arete Introduction Socrates refuted that virtues like excellence could be taught to people, butProtagoras suggested that is possible to teach excellence. Excellence like any other virtue can be taught to individuals as supported by Protagoras. Excellence is taught by parents, instructors, and friends, just like any other virtue. It is impossible for people to be excellent unless they are taught how to achieve this excellence. For instance, talented sports men need assistance and guidance from coaches for them to achieve excellence. Even with strong refutations from philosophers like Socrates, it is rational to say that excellence can be taught. Socrates argued that excellence and other virtues cannot be taught since they are gifts from God. Philosophers like Socrates believe that people cannot be educated to achieve excellence from the supervision of other people (Plato, Arieti & Barrus, Pp 57). He even challenges Protagoras to demonstrate how he can teach Hippocrates to become a better citizen. It is difficult to teach somebody to achieve excellence since it is not a single quality. Excellence is made up of many qualities, and this makes it difficult to be taught. It is difficult to teach excellence because some people are brilliant at some qualities while others are skilled in other qualities. There are different qualities of excellence, thus making it impossible to teach excellence. Excellence is difficult to be taught since people may decide what they want. For instance, Socrates argues that it is not possible for a person to be always faithful, but it is possible for a person to be bad. There are different qualities that make up excellence such as justice, wisdom and courage. This hinders the possibility of teaching excellence. It is difficult to teach excellence since people know what is correct and unpleasant, thus end up acting virtuously. Even when a person known what is admirable and unpleasant they end up doing something wrong. This is because they are challenged with the desire of pleasure of gratification (Plato, Arieti, & and Barrus, Pp 89). It is therefore, rational to say that actions that produce pleasure are therefore not always good if they result into pain. Individuals find actions to be bad if they do not give them permanent pleasure, as opposed to actions that will give them permanent pleasure. People get into immoral actions and find themselves in pain because they are unable to measure the quantity of pain and pleasure these actions may bring. It is possible to teach excellence as people are guided to become better people in life. For instance, Protagoras suggests that he will not teach Hippocrates any technical skills, but he will teach him how to become a better citizen. Excellence can be taught since people have a sense of justice and they know how justice can be achieved in the society. Human beings can achieve excellence through practice and following instructions carefully. For instance, Protagoras suggests that people who commit injustices should be punished to stop them from committing further injustices. When punishment is administered to these people they will deter from committing further injustices (Plato, Arieti, & and Barrus, Pp 105).It is through punishment that people will receive justice excellence. It is therefore, rational to say that excellence can be taught through practice and following instruction. Excellence is a single quality that combines virtues like justice, knowledge and moderation. This makes it to be possible to teach excellence to individuals who are ready and willing. Excellence is a complex quality, and this makes it be diverse. There are things that might be beneficial in some way, but they may appear deficient in other ways. Protagoras argues that it is easy and the same time difficult to be good. He further explains that there is a significant difference for a person being good and a person becoming good (Plato, Pp 32). It is possible to teach excellence since the qualities that make up excellence are similar. Learning one quality makes it easy for a person to learn the other qualities of excellence making excellence easy to be taught. Excellence can be taught to individuals as Protagoras suggests that professionals can change an entire system to develop morals. This means that they will learn from each other how to achieve excellence. People need to understand that excellence and virtues are not learned through observation. They are also not learned from a master or teacher of excellence, but instead they are developed through practice and following of instruction. Excellence is taught to human beings as a set of normative qualities that need to be instilled to individuals. Excellence is taught from successful and unsuccessful actions of human beings. Human beings are able to learn excellence through practice and following of instructions. Excellence can be taught since it directs human beings on the manner they should handle themselves in the society. Excellence is taught through training of certain guidelines, but it is not taught through memorization of this rules (Plato, Pp 57).When people are trained they are able to learn excellence and make it part of them. Excellence cannot be taught through memorization since people will forget and go back to their old habits. Excellence is taught well when individuals continue practicing the qualities associated with excellence. These qualities are alike to each other, and this makes excellence teachable. Individuals are not born having the qualities of excellence, but they learn from their parents and friends. These virtues make people understand their roles and obligations in the society. When a person is taught the qualities of excellence, he is supposed to practice these qualities until he understands them. Virtues are passed from one individual to another through demonstration and guidance. People are taught the necessary skills they need to survive in the world and this make them gain excellence. Through proper guidance and practice individuals are able to learn qualities that make up excellence. People do not acquire virtues genetically, but they are culturally taught to an individual by the society. Individuals are supposed to use these virtues for understanding and possessing the qualities of excellence (Plato, Pp 97). This can only be achieved if individuals follow and watch what the elders in the society are doing. Virtues is a quality that can be taught through performance and acting virtuously. Excellence is like language and it is taught through examples and practice. Virtues like language have inner senses that can only be understood through practice. If virtues are not learned, and practiced then it is extremely difficult to acquire excellence. People learn virtues and excellence by practicing it in the right context and place these virtues are found. Excellence is only teachable through performance and learning from illustrations. It is the role of a person to observe and practice what his elders teach him in the community. This means that he will easily learn the qualities of excellence. Excellence can be transmitted from one generation to another through practice and giving examples. Excellence is taught through educational methods, but teachers are able to pass excellence to students through modeling and demonstration. Students should repeat the qualities of excellence taught by teachers. Continuous practice assists students understand and get the qualities of excellence taught by their teacher. It is possible to edify excellence since people are educated on how to become better people in life. There are things that might be beneficial in some way, but they may appear bad in other ways. Human beings are taught excellence qualities since they are a set of normative traits that need to be instilled to individuals. Persons are not born having the qualities of excellence, but they are taught by their parents and friends. Excellence can be taught since people have a sense of justice and they know how justice can be achieved in the society (Havlicek, Pp 54). It is possible to teach excellence since the traits that make up virtues are alike. Excellence can be taught since it directs human beings on the manner they should handle themselves in the society. Human beings are able to learn excellence through practice and following of instructions closely. When people are trained, they are able to learn excellence and make it part of them. People need to understand that excellence and virtues are not learned through observation. Excellence can be taught since it directs human beings on the manner they should handle themselves in the society. Excellence is a single quality that combines virtues like justice, knowledge and moderation. They are also not learned from a master or teacher of excellence but instead they are developed through practice and following of instruction (Havlicek, Pp 72). These qualities are similar to each other, and this makes excellence teachable. Individuals are supposed to uses these virtues for them to understand and possess the qualities of excellence. Excellence has many qualities that are connected to each other and people can learn these qualities easily. Through consistent practice and following instructions carefully ensures individuals learn excellence qualities. It has been proven that excellence is taught since talented sports men need guidance from their coaches to achieve excellence. These virtues can be instilled in individuals if they carefully observe what they are taught and put these skills into practice. It is the task of the community to guide young generations in learning the qualities of excellence and putting them into action. People do not inherit excellence qualities genetically, but they do get them from cultural teachings from the society. Human beings can achieve excellence through practice and following instructions carefully. It is possible to teach virtues since the qualities that make up excellence are alike. Learning one quality makes a person grasp the other qualities of excellence thus excellence is teachable. Excellence is taught through training of certain guidelines, but it is not taught through memorization of this rules. Virtues are passed from one individual to another through demonstration and guidance. People are taught the necessary skills they need to survive in the world and this make them gain excellence. Excellence can be transmitted from one generation to another through practice and giving examples. Excellence is taught from successful and unsuccessful actions of human beings (Havlicek, Pp 102). Human beings are able to learn excellence through practice and close following of instructions. Through proper guidance and practice individuals are able to learn qualities that make up excellence. People do not acquire virtues genetically, but it is culturally taught to an individual by the society. Human beings can achieve excellence through practice and following instructions carefully. For instance, Protagoras suggests that people who commit injustices should be punished to stop them from committing further injustices. Excellence can be taught to individuals as Protagoras suggests that professionals can change an entire system in developing morals. People learn virtue and excellence by practicing it in the right context and place this virtue is found. Excellence is taught through informative methods, but teachers are able to pass excellence to students through modeling and demonstration. Individuals are not born having the qualities of excellence, but they are taught by their parents and friends. Conclusion Even with strong refutations from philosophers like Socrates, it is rational to say that excellence can be taught. Excellence can be taught through demonstration and by giving examples. This is possible since qualities of excellence are similar to each other, thus making it easy to teach. People should understand that qualities of excellence are not genetically inherited, but they are culturally taught by the society. The elders teach young people these qualities by showing them examples. These qualities are taught through practice and carefully following instructions. It is therefore, rational to say that excellence is teachable. Works Cited Havlicek, Ales. Plato's Protagoras: proceedings of the third symposium Platonicum Pragense. New York: Oikoymenh. 2003. Print. Plato, Arieti, James & and Barrus, Roger. Plato's Protagoras: Translation, Commentary, and Appendices. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print. Plato. Protagoras. New York: Arc Manor LLC. 2009. Print. Read More