美德与知识之间的论证——《美诺篇》思想探析

An Argument between Virtue and Knowledge—The Exploration of the Ideas in Plato’s “Meno”

摘要: 柏拉图在《美诺篇》中围绕“美德是什么”和“美德是否可教”两个问题开展对话，并牵引出“知识的本质是什么”、“知识是如何获得的”、“认识如何可能”等认识论上的问题。在探讨美德与知识之间关系的过程中，“自知无知”是知的起点；“美德即知识”的命题在灵魂不死、回忆说以及理念论的支撑下实现了“真”与“善”的统一；“无人自愿作恶”将“善”理念与现实生活紧密联系，以节制约束自身的情绪和欲望走向善好的人生道路。苏格拉底从“自知无知”到“美德即知识”再到“无人自愿作恶”一步步阐述了一个人如何成其自身，如何回归理性神灵的怀抱，如何过一种哲学的、爱智慧的生活。《美诺篇》的思想探析体现着苏格拉底对于“真正的人应该怎样去生活”这一问题做出的智慧解答，这在现如今，仍然具有重大深远的意义。

Abstract: In the “Meno”, Plato engaged in a dialogue around the two questions of “What virtue is?” and “Whether virtue can be taught?” and drew out the epistemological questions such as “What is the nature of knowledge?”, “How is knowledge obtained?” and “How is cognition possible?” In the process of exploring the relationship between virtue and knowledge, “knowing one’s own ignorance” is the starting point of knowledge. The proposition that “virtue is knowledge” has achieved the unity of “truth” and “goodness” under the support of the immortality of the soul, the theory of recollection and the ideal theory. The phrase “No one voluntarily does evil” closely links the concept of “goodness” with real life, guiding people to restrain their emotions and desires and lead a good life. From “self-awareness of ignorance” to “virtue is knowledge” and then to “no one voluntarily does evil”, Socrates gradually expounded on how a person can become himself, how to return to the embrace of the rational spirit, and how to lead a philosophical and wise life. The ideological analysis in the “Meno” reflects Socrates’ wise answer to the question of “How should a true human being live?”, which still holds significant and far-reaching implications today.