Source edition
Platonis Opera, Tomus III: Tetralogia V-VII. Burnet, John, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a Socratic dialogue by Plato that explores the nature of courage (andreia) as an essential virtue for the proper education of youth. The narrative begins when Athenian citizens Lysimachus and Melesias, seeking the best education for their sons, ask advice from the prominent generals Laches and Nicias, as well as the philosopher Socrates. Although the discussion initially focuses on the usefulness of military training, Socrates redirects the inquiry toward the care of the soul and the fundamental question of what courage truly is. General Laches first proposes definitions such as standing one's ground in battle and the endurance of the soul, but Socrates' sharp examination reveals their inadequacy. Nicias then attempts a more intellectual definition, calling courage the knowledge of what is to be feared and what is to be hoped for, but this is shown to encompass the entirety of virtue rather than just a part of it. In the end, the interlocutors fail to reach a definitive definition of courage, and acknowledging their own ignorance, they resolve to seek a teacher and continue learning together.