The Famous Speech by Protagoras - Essay Example

Protagoras 320c-328d The famous speech by Protagoras has many conflicting ments of virtue. Many scholars have learned virtues through examples portrayed in the speech. In the first statement, Protagoras indicates there are gods, but does not come out fully to disclose if he believes there are gods. In this speech, Protagoras responds to Socrates’s challenge on how to teach virtue (Michael280). This involves a story of creating animals by gods, who entrust Epometheus and Prometheus to distribute animals depending on their different capabilities and duties they can do. In this setting, Protagoras justifies the punitive justice system, which states that it is not all right to punish an individual for past deeds, since the punishment “cannot undo” the crime done. However, the juridical punishment will be applied in future, in order to change behavior and traits of misguided citizens through instilling qualities like piety and justice for all. This implies that it is possible to teach civic virtue, which is the foundation of Greek social order, leading to principled citizens aiming for better lives and judicial systems. In this setting, the traditional justice system revolved under “injury for injury”, or an “eye for an eye”, and the justice system relied in the fact that guilt was god sent, or inherited. Protagoras role claims that citizens can acquire education thereby learning virtues, which shall limit crimes hence adapting social role of punishment to wrong doers. In the speech, Socrates claims that virtuous parents should not educate their children to be virtuous. Protagoras argues that Socrates is incorrect and affirms by saying parents have the rights of instilling discipline in their children, and it is a communal responsibility from school, and the community setting. Showing virtue and discipline is like learning a language, which makes it easier for someone to follow deeds based on behavioral traits of community members. Children raised in a community, which allows the practice of vices; the children will grow up knowing vices are good. However, the same shall not happen if a child grows up in a community, which has a setting of virtues and punishes evil doers in the society. In the speech, Protagoras claims his is one of the few people who can show the way of deeds and virtues and become a leading example to other society members through practicing civic virtue. In the speech, Protagoras, clearly points out the logic of his argument claiming, “Virtue is teachable.” He devotes his time to argue rhetorically, displaying the importance of philosophy and virtue in his speech. Plato, on the other hand, insists that arguments are usually dictated by requirements and merits, which form around that argument. Protagoras argues that he does not hide beneath appearance, but usually state it philanthropically and publicly. In this case, he implies to the wishes of the audience when he asks them what he wants them to hear him speak, argue, or elaborate mode of virtues. This means that Protagoras is virtuous by allowing his audience to make a choice. This proves his statement right, which declares that virtue is teachable even across cultural differences. 327d states that even the wicked Greek is virtuous than people who lack education, course, and laws.1 In this statement, Protagoras implies that Greeks have mastered and have knowledge of being virtuous. In his argument, Protagoras is employing the virtue of function, which involves asking the audience, how he should argue, leading to a uniting form, and a society in microcosm. In the speech, some listeners argue that he is not serious; while some claim, he is serious, while other sentiments claim he is a casual thinker. However, he is positioned as a profound and respectable thinker as presented by Plato.1 The first part of the speech fully focuses on the story, which Protagoras uses to attach Socrates weak setting, and weak civic aptitude. This level of skill makes Protagoras skillful, and a genius in the field of philosophy. He narrates the story of arming humans and placing them in community settings in order to shield them from wild animals. In the second setting of the story, Protagoras denotes the importance of the civic aptitude listed in the first part of the story, and claims that these aptitudes cannot be taught, but as a systematic analysis of punishment and learning through experience and logical reasoning. Protagoras has a double nature, which suggests merit should be salvaged first from his fallaciousness. The story does not present Socrates as the wisest person leading to loss of virtue when in dialog with Protagoras, who has intellectual virtue aspect in his description as presented in the first part of the speech. Protagoras lists that not everyone is virtuous and those who lead others have the obligation of being virtuous since their virtue shall make the community upright and socially responsible. He further states that virtue is something one learns and even if a parent is virtuous, that does not mean he will have virtuous children, but through deeds and teachings, they will acquire virtue. Socrates in his part stated, “Justice is itself just”, and “pious is in itself pious.” This does not reflect the true meaning hence leading to a categorical mistake.1 In this setting, it means the representation of categories to describe roles other than categories, which do not match up to the subject in question. This is a problem of self-prediction, which fails to analyze in concept the true meaning of the statement and outcome to apply in daily life, in the virtue of philosophy aspect as displayed in the speech. Indeed, Protagoras dedicates the better part of his speech to support his claim that citizens have the ability to learn. Thus, they can acquire virtues needed for living in the society. Acquiring these roles means that a person adopts social responsibility hence reducing the chances of committing a crime in the society. Protagoras argues that both parents and the community have the responsibility of instilling virtues in children. This occurs through observation and learning what the community and the parents display. Additionally, Protagoras also employs rhetorical strategy to prove his claim about education and learning. Thus, he succeeds in showing that people can be educated to learn essential virtues in the society. Endnotes 1Plato, Protagoras and Meno NA: Penguin Classics, 2005 Works Cited Plato, “Protagoras and Meno” NA: Penguin Classics, 2005. Read More