Virtue In Plato's Five Dialogues, And Brain On Fire

In the beginning there was Philosophy; the never ending study of the “fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence” (Merriam-Webster). With this definition, one can begin to question the validity of all things in this fine world. When analyzing both, Plato’s Five Dialogues, and, Susannah Cahalan’s, Brain on Fire, you begin the journey of defining virtue. Virtue is a key term in the philosophical world; this is because virtue means to show high moral standards in righteousness, integrity, decency, and purity. Now, with cross-examination, these two works of art have clearly answered a fundamental question; what is virtue, and how is it carried out? In the text, Susannah Cahalan answered virtue in her race for both diagnosis and recovery, while Socrates displayed virtue in his fight for freedom from Athens. …show more content…
In her story, virtue was defined as dignity, honor, and integrity. Dignity was defined by Cahalan for possessing the worth to be simultaneously honored and respected for the outcome of her story. Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis was a rare diagnosis for most patients; Susannah was one of the few to be pronounced in America. Having this disease has shed light on the illness across the world, with survivors thanking Susannah for diagnosing them with her book. Brain on Fire is not just her story; it is also the story of those who are surviving everyday with the new technology her case has aided. As a result, she has created a high degree of popularity in hospitals, laboratories, and patients’ homes. Cahalan’s reputation defines virtue as having dignity, the ability to be honored, and the integrity to never stop fighting for her anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis