Socratic eudaimonia in two Alkibiadesdialogen

The paper focuses on two Alkibiadesdialoge, namely Aeschines of Sphettus’ Alcibiades and the Alcibiades I, with special regard to the notion of eudaimonia and its preconditions. Though their comparative analysis I aim at investigating Socrates’ conception of happiness and some basic surrounding issues: (i) the role of arete in the attainment of eudaimonia and its relationship to happiness as a goal; (ii) the fundamental connection between knowledge and eudaimonia and the subsequent understanding of amathia as an obstacle to happiness; (iii) the problem of whether or not an “expert” is needed to evaluate one’s happiness; (iv) the role of the care for others in relation to the search for eudaimonia.