Can Virtue Be Taught?

The question “Can virtue be taught” has been a hotly debated topic for philosophers and stoics throughout the ages, but the question makes its first literary appearance in Plato’s Meno, written in 380 B.C.E. Meno, a rich young aristocrat, asks Socrates:

Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is acquired by teaching or by practice; or if neither by teaching nor practice, then whether it comes to man by nature, or in what other way?

In the following lines, Socrates confesses that he knows nothing about virtue. He proceeds to say that he nor anyone else knows what virtue is, and therefore there is no way to know if virtue can be taught.

In order to unpack the strenuous question “can virtue be taught,” we must of course have an adequate understanding of what virtue is. Meno describes the characteristics of a virtuous man as one who administers the state justly and charitably, and one who does no harm to himself or others. According to Meno,

virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do. And the same may be said of vice.

As the dialogue continues, Meno finally professes: “virtue is the power of governing mankind.”

What does this mean?

We can refer back to Meno’s previous statements about man’s duty to administer the state justly. Meno’s words may be aimed towards political figures; however, it may easily apply to men and women in any sort of leadership position as well. His point is, whatever your position, lead justly and charitably, and do no harm to yourself or others.

In addition, Meno suggests that there are “numberless” virtues. Among the “numberless” virtues are justice, courage, temperance, wisdom, and magnanimity.

Virtue is the desire of things honourable and the power of attaining them. ~Meno

Let us compare the way Meno (Plato) defines virtue to that of Aristotle.

Aristotle’s teachings characterize virtue as the disposition for one to be honest, trustworthy, diligent, and humble. Similar to Meno, Aristotle believes in “numberless” virtues.

Now comes the question “can virtue be taught?”

Aristotle believed virtue or “human excellence” to be the acquisition of wisdom through learning and experience. Learning implies teaching. Therefore, Aristotle argues that virtue can be taught.

Let’s think about this for a moment…

The significance of virtue, a distinctly human characteristic, is that NO HUMAN BEING IS INHERENTLY VIRTUOUS. No man is naturally disposed to care for the weak, to tell the truth, to be humble, or to be kind. All it takes is one look at a man stuck in 5 o’clock traffic, a married couple fighting, a parent struggling to get their child to eat their food, etc. All of these things are products of human selfishness, pride, deceitfulness…all of which are naturally bred into us, and essentially the opposite of virtue.

If we are naturally selfish, rebellious, and deceitful, then how can we ever acquire virtue? The simple answer is that we must be taught virtue.

Before I proceed, may it be said that virtue is not the absence of pride, greed, rebellion, deceitfulness, selfishness, and every other natural-bred human imperfection. Instead, virtue is the product of imperfect human beings striving to achieve human excellence by cultivation. Virtue does not eliminate “bad” human characteristics. The most virtuous men still have selfish tendencies, because selfishness is an innately human characteristic.

Now that we have an adequate understanding of what virtue is, and we know that virtue is achieved through learning, we must now answer the question of how we learn virtue.

Just like any skill, virtue takes time, patience, and repetition. You don’t take one guitar lesson and suddenly you can play the guitar perfectly. Or you don’t take one cooking class and now you are a master chef. Likewise, virtue is attained through patience and repetition.

Aristotle uses the term “early habit formation” in his Nicomachean Ethics to describe the method of repetition and reward that parents use to discipline wrong actions and to reward right actions. Parents use this “early habit formation” because it insists that their children learn right and wrong, and by repetition and reward, children will become disposed to do what is right. Of course, this method does not only apply to young children, but it is applicable to every human being who wishes to become virtuous.

As we begin to practice the numberless virtues such as charity, courage, wisdom, and humility, we learn the rewards that come with it. Charity allows us the grace to forgive others, which in turn gives us a peace of mind. Courage enables us to step outside our fears and achieve the things that would otherwise be impossible. Wisdom frees the soul from emotional bondage, as we encounter hardships. Humility gives us a spirit of gratitude, and also disposes us to act charitably towards others. It is through repetition and understanding the rewards that come with being virtuous that we produce human excellence.

Virtue can only be achieved through learning.

If you want to be virtuous, discipline yourself. Secondly, be patient with yourself — just like any skill, virtue cannot be achieved overnight. It is simply through practicing charity, humility, integrity, and honesty that one can fully attain virtue.