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Why did Socrates connect virtue with knowledge?

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Socrates
Socrates Herm of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, from a Greek original, second half of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Socrates connected virtue with knowledge because he believed that virtue is a form of wisdom or cognitive excellence. His philosophical position held that if an individual truly knows what virtue is, they will necessarily act virtuously.1234

This perspective stems from his conviction that reason, when properly cultivated, should be the all-controlling factor in human life. According to Socrates, there is no such thing as "weakness of will"ā€”the idea that someone could knowingly choose to act wrongly. Consequently, he argued that any failure to act virtuously is not a moral failing, but rather a cognitive one; individuals act badly only because they are ignorant of, or mistaken about, the true nature of virtue.42

By identifying virtue with knowledge, Socrates emphasized that the most important obligation for any human being is the "care of the soul" through the pursuit of truth and intellectual clarity. He believed that once one has achieved sufficient understanding of what is good, one's emotions and desires will naturally align with that knowledge, leading to virtuous action.34