Is not Knowledge a Virtue?

          The dawn of the Golden Period of the Western philosophy insisted much on knowledge in human life, to the extend saying that knowledge is virtue. Socrates was a prominent proponent of this proposition. According to him, every human being aims for satisfaction in life and knowledge of what constitutes such a life is for the achievement of it. This kind of life consists in the practice of the virtues which are the application of different kinds of the fundamental virtue of knowledge (of which the good for human is and how it is to be achieved). Thus Socrates concludes, “Virtue is Knowledge” as no one does wrong willingly.

          On the contrary, we find a seemingly tenable anti-thesis in this discussion. Knowledge cannot be a virtue rather it is the action that becomes a virtue. A good action, being done repetitively, becomes a habit and the habit, in turn, becomes a virtue. The argument moves further giving an example that it is not enough that a person knows how to be good rather he or she must perform good actions in order to be virtuous. Thus it is only the good action that becomes a virtue and not the mere knowledge of the good action.

          Now, the question is, what makes an action virtuous? Is it the action itself? Certainly not. An action itself can never be virtuous, if so, any action becomes a virtue. Rather, a virtuous action is determined by various factors.Some examples may throw light on this: helping the poor is a virtuous action; if this action is carried out for hidden motives like for gaining fame or to evade taxes, then this action cannot be accepted as a virtue; a business man who was regular in paying taxes, learns to cheat the government feels regret for his past loyalty to the government; thus his regularity in paying his excise is no more a virtue of loyalty. Hence we can conclude that the action cannot be a virtue in itself.

          The same question of what makes an action virtuous may gain a better clarity now. An action, to be virtuous, relies more on the intention of the action. The intention is shaped by the knowledge of the virtuous action. Therefore, the essence of a virtuous action is the knowledge of the virtue that corresponds to the action. In other words, this knowledge is expressed in action, in turn, as virtue. We can conclude saying that virtue is an a priori condition for the action and soit is not more of the realm of action but of the knowledge. “The virtuous person”, says Taittirīya Upaniṣad ii.9, “is not troubled by thoughts like these: Have I not done the right? Have I done the wrong?”Because the person does with all the dispositions acquired through the knowledge of the virtue, s/he becomes goodness and virtuous taking always right decisions and doing always the right! This is an obvious indication that knowledge is virtue. Thisperspective is more strengthened with the philosophy of Advaita Vedānta. That one identifies oneself with Brahman is the sole pre-condition to attain mokṣa, the Summum Bonumof human living, which is the virtue par excellence or the ultimate result of a virtuous life. It is the knowledge of this realization gives the supreme liberation. This is similar to the words of Jesus: “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)

          The above notion on knowledge takes knowledge beyond epistemic value and provides a way to perceive knowledge in the realm of ontology. Knowledge is not just the accumulation of information. It is the personalization of what one knows. St. Thomas Aquinas explains that we become of what we know i.e. to know is to become. Indian philosophy calls it as jñāna-niṣṭhā which etymologically means being-in-knowledge.If a virtuous action is the expression of one’s personalization, then can’t we call the root of any virtue, the knowledge a virtue? Is not knowledge a virtue?