The search for virtue

pages: 157-181

Abstract

In the combat for virtue, waged between Plato and the Sophists, Plato was striving to keep the contents of old Hellenic ethics, but not their mythical form, where Sophism discovered significant shortcomings and thanks to that challenged the whole contents of old Hellenic ethics. On the other hand, Plato accepted the new form of rational thinking, but not the dismantling unilateralism of Sohpism rationality. In other words, Plato embarked on theoreticizing the contents of old Hellenic ethics, aspiring to reconcile the fundamental principle of traditional view of the world with the new ruling form of thinking. Keywords: virtue, state, politics, ethics, tradition, theory of ideas