Donald Morrison > Quotes

“the Socratic view that the only or most important good is virtue/wisdom (e.g., Ap. 30a-b; Cri. 47e-48b; Grg. 512a-b; Euthd. 281d-e) makes it likely that the only or most important component of the gods’ chief product is virtue/wisdom. But then, since piety as a virtue must be a craft-knowledge of how to produce goodness (e.g., La. 194e-196d, 199c-e; Euthd. 280b-281e), our primary service to the gods – the one we are best suited to perform – would appear to be to help the gods to produce goodness in the universe via the protection and improvement of the human mind/soul. Because philosophical examination of oneself and others is for Socrates the key activity that helps to achieve this goal via the improvement of moral-belief-consistency and the deflation of human presumptions to divine wisdom (e.g., Ap. 22d-23b), philosophizing is a preeminently pious activity.”
― Donald Morrison, The Cambridge Companion to Socrates

“for always the greatest obstacle to intellectual and moral progress with Socrates is people’s unwillingness to confront their own ignorance.”
― Donald Morrison, The Cambridge Companion to Socrates