Xenophon on Moral Choice

Abstract

There is no doubt that, in Plato, the conscious choice for the evil is impossible; the question is whether it is true for Xenophon’s Socrates as well. From a variety of contexts it can be demonstrated that, in the ethic of Socrates as represented by Xenophon, continence is equally indispensable for both acquiring and maintaining virtue. The analysis of Xenophon’s text, including the interpretation of the passage which has been regarded the most confusing by modern critics – Mem. 4.5.6, shows that the answer given by Xenophon’s Socrates ultimately coincides with that of Plato.