Saturday, February 23, 2008

Self-Justification, Temper, and Socratic Method in the Laches
Timothy Davis
Freshman Greek – Pagano
02.23.08

In the Laches, we are presented with a very clear demonstration of Socratic Method and instruction. Indeed, this is the major focus of the dialogue, for no answers are produced by its conclusion and the dialogue ends in more bafflement than it began. The only gain from the conversation directed by Socrates is that the characters and the reader will have discovered and become familiar with Socrates’ methods in pursuing an argument.
This, though, is only the first understanding of the dialogue. Beneath the arguments and definitions of courage, there is tension between two of the characters, Nicias and Laches, which shapes the inquiry of the dialogue and is the reason for the squabbling that occurs instead of joint effort into the argument.
The question posed by Socrates in the Laches is, “What is virtue?” and quickly becomes, at Socrates’ recommendation, “What is courage?” because “the inquiry will likely be easier for us.” (190c, Allen) This retreat towards courage from the larger issue of virtue is in direct opposition to the Meno, where Socrates rejects Meno’s examples of virtues and forces him to consider virtue as a whole, and gives evidence that Socrates is engaged in a demonstration of the proper method by which to answer a universal question rather than a single-minded focus on answering the question.
Lysimachus and Melisias wish to properly educate their sons and inquire whether training them to fight in armor will benefit them. Socrates points out that outward training is only done for the purpose of benefiting the soul and acquiring their agreement, directs the conversation towards how to benefit the soul, and therefore towards virtue. At his request, two respected Athenian generals, Laches and Nicias, engage in dialogue with Socrates about the definition of courage. This dialogue provides Socrates with the chance to illustrate his methods, for both Laches and Nicias engage in the attempt to answer Socrates’ question with opposite errors.



Outline:

Analyze Socrates’ method in the Laches.
Analyze the ‘drama’ – the squabbling between Nicias and Laches
Discuss how the drama affects the dialogue, conclude.