Virtue Is It's Own Reward

The quote, "Virtue is it's own reward," was first said by the famous philosopher Marcus, Cicero. In his book The Republic and the Ring of Gyges, Plato was able to elaborate and express his own views on the topic. From Plato's perspective, we are able to see his argument. However, is it possible to act morally from basic knowledge? There are critics who can argue that being good can be cultivated through habit, whilst Plato argued otherwise.

There are two different types of virtues, moral and intellectual. Plato suggests that knowledge, or intellectual virtues, can alone make us moral human beings. With the knowledge of what is morally correct in this day and age, we are able to make informed decisions. He advocates that reason alone should rule our emotions as well as suppress the inner "Beast" within us all. There is the opinion that reason is what guides our feelings, to a certain degree. Yet without the knowledge behind these reasons, how can we make the appropriate decision? Without having knowledge to suppress as well as enable our feelings, as human beings we cannot flourish and become virtuous.

If you know goodness, you have the capacity of being a good person. Plato advocates this in The Forms of Good, in which he states that good things are not always the same as goodness. In The Republic, Plato argues that for those who are trained in being rational are able to obtain moral knowledge. Knowledge has values that are eternal, we can never unlearn what we have learnt and therefore these values become transcendent, and Plato called them the Forms. If we understand the Forms of Good, we can asses what we need to do to become virtuous human beings. Without these Forms, our knowledge of goodness is limited and therefore we cannot flourish as a community and a society in itself.

By being a good person, you can achieve personal gratification. Although being good should be a selfless act, the feelings that accompany doing something good are more rewarding if the person performing these actions is aware that they are helping others. As a member of society, we must all perform virtuous acts and be moral so that we can all benefit as a whole. When you are helping others, you are also really helping yourself flourish and become a better human being. At the end of the day, it isn't about the number of people you have helped or societies you have donated money too, it is about the purpose of these actions and what helped you make them. Plato's Forms of Good are an exceptional example of this; by being truly good we are helping others acquire the same knowledge, which helped us, reason in the first place. In the long run, if you are able to practice goodness for the sake of being virtuous, you will be rewarded with happiness and truly flourish.

Virtuous behavior is what enables the community members to flourish, and without these moral actions, a community