# Laches explained — Dialogues

> Chapter companion for Dialogues by Plato.

## What happens

Socrates engages in a dialogue with Laches and Nicias about the nature of courage, exploring whether it is a form of knowledge or a virtue that can be taught, and ultimately questioning the foundations of military education and moral character.

## Themes in this chapter

### Education and Virtue

The dialogue centers on whether courage can be taught and how virtue is instilled through education.

### War, Peace, and Military Virtue

Courage is examined as a key military virtue, with Laches and Nicias offering perspectives from their experience as generals.

## Character check-ins

### Socrates

Leads the inquiry into the definition of courage, questioning Laches and Nicias.

### Laches

A general who initially defines courage as a sort of endurance, but is refuted by Socrates.

### Nicias

A more enlightened general who proposes courage as knowledge of what is to be feared and hoped for.

### Lysimachus

One of the fathers seeking advice on the education of his son, present at the dialogue.

### Melesias

The other father consulting Socrates and the generals about his son's education.

## Key lines

> Socrates: 'Then, according to your statement, courage is the knowledge of what is to be feared and what is to be hoped for?'

Socrates summarizes Nicias's definition that courage involves understanding what should be feared and what should be confidently anticipated.

_This captures the core philosophical move in the dialogue, linking courage to knowledge._

> Laches: 'I think that courage is a sort of endurance of the soul, if I am to speak of the universal nature which pervades them all.'

Laches offers an initial definition of courage as a general quality of endurance in the soul.

_Laches' definition is later shown to be too broad and not fully adequate._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters/laches
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters