Can Virtue Be Taught?

Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.

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This short philosophical treatise addresses the fundamental question of whether virtue (arete) can be taught. The author points out the apparent contradiction in human behavior: while people recognize that even minor everyday skills, such as shoemaking, cooking, or basic etiquette, require careful learning and practice, they assume that the most important art of all—living well and possessing virtue—requires no instruction. Through various historical anecdotes and concrete analogies, the work sharply criticizes this inconsistency. The author argues that if minor crafts require training, then the cultivation of character and virtue must demand it all the more. Ultimately, the work concludes that education and training of the soul are indispensable for living a good life, strongly affirming that virtue is indeed something that can and must be taught.