Avert Quote by Plato
“Are these things good for any other reason except that they end in pleasure, and get rid of and avert pain? Are you looking to any other standard but pleasure and pain when you call them good?”
About This Quote
Source Dialogue: Republic, Book I, Plato, ~380 BC
Plato questions whether any good is valuable beyond providing pleasure or avoiding pain, urging a deeper standard of goodness.
In simple terms: Goodness may be more than pleasure or pain avoidance.
Key Takeaway
Seek higher standards of good.
Themes
ethics
philosophy
value theory
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal decision making
- policy evaluation
- educational curricula
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
eudaimonia
intrinsic worth
moral realism
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria should define goodness beyond pleasure?
- How can we assess intrinsic value?
A Different Perspective
Pleasure and pain are not the only measures of good.
