The Study Of Socrates' Temperance Thought

This article attempts to systemically sort out Socrates' thought of temperance and understand the connotation and theoretical context of temperance.Socrates is called that he has taken philosophy back from heaven because he studied the problems of human beings.He kept philosophy in the field of transcendental field.As one virtue,temperance has been discussed in many dialogues in Memorabilia,and has become one of the four main virtues in the Republic.Since Socrates himself did not leave any works,we can only understand his theories by comparing the dialogues between Xenophon and Plato.Xenophon's understanding of Socrates' temperance is mainly in the field of practice,while Plato's interpretation is from the theoretical point of view.And in Plato's early and middle dialogue,we can tell that the understanding of temperance has changed.Epistemology has become an important theoretical background for understanding temperance.Socrates tried to define the virtue of temperance,but he failed and put forward that he was "ignorant".He holds the idea that virtue is knowledge and believes anyone who has the knowledge of temperance will not do anything intemperate.But on the question of whether man can have perfect knowledge,Socrates and Plato hold different idea.Socrates proposed that God is the source of all virtues,and only God has complete knowledge.Plato also took God as the theoretical basis.He put forward the theory of idea,and thought that the existing knowledge in human soul needs to be obtained through memory,and then human beings get idea from the supreme reason.In Plato's theory,temperance plays an important role in restraining desire and making it obey rationality.The harmony and unity within the soul is an important foundation for realizing virtue.It is precisely because temperance can make people become their own masters that Plato gave temperance an important virtue status.Socrates and Plato both attach importance to the problem of virtue,especially the practice of virtue.In the ethical life of a city-state,the virtue of temperance requires the harmony and order of both body and soul.Physical exercise and knowledge about food health help to realize the virtue of the body,and education helps to realize the virtue of the soul.Socrates pays attention to the rational understanding of self,and his research on such specific moral issues as temperance is actually asking the question that how people should live,which is also his most basic philosophical concern.Socrates paid attention to moral practice and demanded that reason plays an important role in the field of practice.True happiness must be in accordance with virtue.Only by pursuing and implementing good moral quality,can we achieve the unity of virtue and happiness.In the process of questioning and paying attention to morality,we could live a worthy life and reap real happiness.