Why We Can't Give Hitler Nice Things

This Determines How Everything Gets Used

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The Socratic idea that virtue is the only good seems like a lie. What about food and shelter and friends? What good is virtue if you don’t even have the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

The explanation: Hitler. 

If we gave Ghengis Khan, or Stalin, or Hitler twice as much money, charisma, friendship, manpower, and other nice things, do you think they’d use those things well or poorly? How many more people would die because they had extra resources?

It’s the same with all desirable things among all people. A million dollars is value-neutral. If you give it to a virtuous person, they’ll use it with wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. If you hand it to someone without virtue, they’ll probably use it for foul ends or waste it. Anything can be abused in this fashion, even the basics of life. 

So ultimately, virtue is the only good because it determines how all things get used — for good or ill.