Week 1 - The Importance of the Virtue of Courage for Teaching

On p. 40-42, Socrates explains why he is ready to face death rather than ‘desert his post’ and abandon “the philosopher’s mission of searching into myself and other men.” Like the warrior Achilles, it is disgrace rather than death that he fears, and he tells the assembled jurors that he would not accept freedom on the condition that he ceased teaching and practicing philosophy (p. 42). In our time, it is not very common to think of teaching in connection with these ideals of and courage. How important is the virtue of courage for teaching?