The term “Socratic intellectualism” has come commonly to be used
to describe either of two somewhat related features of Socratic philosophy,
which may be called “virtue intellectualism” and “motivational
intellectualism.” Socrates is generally, though perhaps not
universally, regarded as a virtue intellectualist because he believed
that all virtue is in some sense constituted by a certain kind of knowledge.
In this respect, Socrates differs from Plato and Aristotle, who
recognized aspects to virtue that were non-cognitive, such as having
one’s appetites or passions in the proper order. Socrates is generally,
though, again, perhaps not universally, regarded as a motivational
intellectualist because he believed that all human actions are
in some way directly or immediately the result of what those acting
think is best for them. Socrates’ moral psychology is “intellectualist”
because he is committed to the view that every ethical1 failure
involves some cognitive failure, for each ethical failure is the direct
product of some false belief about what is good for the agent of the
failure.