Socratic Wisdom: Midwives, Mentors, and a Broader Understanding of Epistemic Goods

Dominik Jarczewski

doi:10.18290/rf26741.7

Published : 2026-03-25

Vol. 74 No. 1 (2026)

Socratic Wisdom: Midwives, Mentors, and a Broader Understanding of Epistemic Goods

Dominik Jarczewski

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9359-620X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rf26741.7

Abstract

The paper argues for nuancing the understanding of epistemic goods and evaluations by analysing the role of mentors in epistemic communities, with a particular focus on Socrates. While traditional epistemic evaluations emphasise the production of knowledge, some epistemic agents contribute to the epistemic well-being of their communities in ways that do not directly yield these standard goods. For example, the primary role of Socrates was not as a knowledge producer, but as a mentor who guided and educated others. To capture the epistemic significance of such figures, I propose a distinction between product-like and agent-centred epistemic goods. I provide nuance to our understanding of epistemic value by linking it to the epistemic well-being of a community and different ways to improve it.

Keywords:

wisdom, Socrates, epistemic values, non-ideal epistemology, epistemic community

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Jarczewski, D. (2026). Socratic Wisdom: Midwives, Mentors, and a Broader Understanding of Epistemic Goods. Roczniki Filozoficzne, 74(1), 149–167. https://doi.org/10.18290/rf26741.7

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