Why sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue, matters more than ever in the age of AI

For the Greeks, sophrosyne was an ideal second to none. It’s just as important today, in an age of internet addiction and misinformation – but harder to come by.

By: Ross Channing Reed, Missouri University of Science and Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 5, 2026

Words: 1,152

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Ross Channing Reed, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Texting while driving. Bullying people on social media. Buying into the latest conspiracy theory. Passing off AI-generated work as your own.

That may seem like a random list of 21st-century vices. But I’d argue they’re all examples of the loss of one particular virtue: sophrosyne.

An ancient Greek concept, sophrosyne – pronounced “suh-fros-uh-nee” – is what we might call “sound-mindedness” today. It’s a …

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