The Theory of Moral Sentiments · Character

Plato

Greek philosopher whose views on virtue and the soul are discussed.

minor

Plato's tie to Aristotle is one of the pressures that moves The Theory of Moral Sentiments—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Plato's maxim against using violence to one's country is cited as a foundational principle for the truly public-spirited legislator.

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With Aristotle (professional): Aristotle was Plato's student and later a critic of his theory of Forms. With Zeno (professional): Zeno's…

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Aristotle
professional · ambivalent
Aristotle was Plato's student and later a critic of his theory of Forms. How this plays out →
Zeno
professional · ambivalent

Relationship notes

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Plato appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: Of the Order in Which Societies Are by Nature Recommended to Our Beneficence
Plato's maxim against using violence to one's country is cited as a foundational principle for the truly public-spirited legislator.
Part VII: Of Systems of Moral Philosophy
Plato's system of virtue as the proper government of the soul is referenced.
Of Those Systems Which Make Virtue Consist in Propriety
Plato's system of virtue as the harmony of the soul's faculties is discussed, equating justice with perfect propriety.
Of Those Systems Which Make Virtue Consist in Prudence
Mentioned as one of the philosophers who held that virtue is desirable for its own sake and that there are many primary objects of natural desire beyond bodily pleasure.
Endnotes
Mentioned in a footnote alongside Homer and Cicero.

Chapter companion notes

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