Caring for oneself is distinct from caring for one’s belongings: the art that improves and thus ‘takes care’ of a thing (e.g., the body) is different from the art that takes care of what belongs to it (e.g., shoes or rings), so looking after possessions is not the same as genuine self‑care.

By Plato, from Alcibiade

Key Arguments

  • Socrates asks whether ‘a man taking care of himself’ means taking care of what belongs to him, and Alcibiades initially agrees.
  • Using examples, Socrates distinguishes: a ring ‘belong[s] to the finger, and to the finger only,’ and a shoe to the foot; caring for shoes is not the same as caring for feet.
  • He elicits the admission that ‘taking proper care means improving’ and that different arts improve different things: shoemaking improves shoes, while ‘some other art’ improves feet and ‘the rest of the body.’
  • Socrates identifies this other art as ‘gymnastic,’ which ‘takes care of our feet’ and body, while shoemaking or graving rings take care of what belongs to the feet or hands.
  • He formulates the general principle: ‘the art which takes care of each thing is different from that which takes care of the belongings of each thing,’ and draws the conclusion, ‘Then in taking care of what belongs to you, you do not take care of yourself,’ a conclusion Alcibiades accepts.
  • Thus, accumulating or managing possessions is shown to be insufficient for, and distinct from, the genuine art of self‑care.

Source Quotes

ALCIBIADES: If I can be improved by answering, I will answer. SOCRATES: And first of all, that we may not peradventure be deceived by appearances, fancying, perhaps, that we are taking care of ourselves when we are not, what is the meaning of a man taking care of himself? and when does he take care? Does he take care of himself when he takes care of what belongs to him? ALCIBIADES: I should think so.
ALCIBIADES: I do not understand. SOCRATES: Let me take the hand as an illustration; does not a ring belong to the finger, and to the finger only? ALCIBIADES: Yes.
ALCIBIADES: Yes. SOCRATES: And when we take care of our shoes, do we not take care of our feet? ALCIBIADES: I do not comprehend, Socrates.
ALCIBIADES: Yes. SOCRATES: And taking proper care means improving? ALCIBIADES: Yes.
ALCIBIADES: Clearly. SOCRATES: Then the art which takes care of each thing is different from that which takes care of the belongings of each thing? ALCIBIADES: True.
ALCIBIADES: True. SOCRATES: Then in taking care of what belongs to you, you do not take care of yourself? ALCIBIADES: Certainly not.

Key Concepts

  • what is the meaning of a man taking care of himself? and when does he take care? Does he take care of himself when he takes care of what belongs to him?
  • does not a ring belong to the finger, and to the finger only?
  • And when we take care of our shoes, do we not take care of our feet?
  • And taking proper care means improving?
  • Then the art which takes care of each thing is different from that which takes care of the belongings of each thing?
  • Then in taking care of what belongs to you, you do not take care of yourself?

Context

Transitioning from the admission of ignorance to the question of self‑care, Socrates uses analogies with shoes, feet, rings, and the body to distinguish between caring for possessions and caring for the self, thereby redefining the target of ethical and political ‘care of oneself.’