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Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

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One of the main ideas in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics was that human beings capable of reason. This is what sets us apart from other species, our intellect ability. In the book, they make multiple claims that every single human being has the ability to be rational and use reasonable, while in “Feminists Ethics” claim that women are more caring and gentle and make emotional based decisions, simply because of their nature. Aristotle says that using emotion to guide decisions would lead to immoral actions and that we should use reason and wisdom to make out decisions, as our feelings and thoughts will always change, but reason does not. In virtue ethics, they claim that human beings are wired to be reasonable. Also, in this article it says that
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 Based on an evaluation of Aristotle’s arguments and the objection that stands against it, people are responsible for voluntary actions and involuntary actions whose circumstances or particulars they themselves have caused.   In order to evaluate Aristotle’s ethical argument, it is first necessary to explain his definitions of character acquisition, volition, and responsibility.  Aristotle defines character acquisition very succinctly:

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Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics begins by exploring ‘the good’. Book I argues that, unlike other goods, “happiness appears to be something complete and self-sufficient, and is, therefore, the end of actions” (10:1097b20-21). In other words, happiness is the ultimate good. But how does one achieve happiness? Aristotle formulates this in the context of work, since for all things, from artists to horses, “the good and the doing it well seem to be in the work” (10:1097b27-28).

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With regard to arguing against torture using Aristotle’s virtue theory, Book II of Nicomachean Ethics states that “we are adapted by nature to receive [virtues], and are made perfect by habit” (295). The idea of perfecting virtue by habit is established by striving for the ultimate goal of obtaining maximum happiness or true virtue of character. That is, exercising in consistently virtuous behaviors (i.e., interactions with people, alone, etc.) will determine, through conditioning, an individual’s true virtue of character. As Aristotle rightly stated, “so we too become just by doing just acts” and “This is why the activities we exhibit must be of a certain kind,” we should condition ourselves to develop just and virtuous characters and frown

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1287 Words | 6 Pages

In his book Nicomanchean Ethics Aristotle explains and differentiates voluntary and involuntary actions and expatiate on all the factor that contribute in deciding on the nature of our actions. The purpose of this differentiation is essential for the study of virtue ethics and more importantly for the study of jurisprudence “to the assigning of both of honors and of punishments” onto individuals. Aristotle firstly describes factors that causes actions to be involuntary or voluntary, such as ignorance, compulsion and choice. The understanding of such factors and their relation to our actions are also important to understand the principles explained by Aristotle. Voluntary actions is defined by Aristotle as actions that have their principle

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713 Words | 3 Pages

While reading the text, Nicomachean ethics, which was written by Aristotle, one can see that friendship is quite and important and necessary element when it comes to living a virtuous and happy life. Friendship can be a very powerful tool when it comes to living a virtuous life as it can help individuals grow and can also make virtuous actions come more easily to an individual as friends will always challenge one to grow. In this paper, we will explore how friendship impacts not only moral implications but political ones as well. Therefore, friendship is discussed even in today 's society as it can have many different roles not only towards an individual’s choices but as a society as a whole, as it can affect factions as well depending on the

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Although all three philosophers have an astounding take on life I felt more like I found myself resounding with aristotle- especially when it came to his take on ethics. Aristotle did not believe in the existence of inherently bad behaviors, but rather than putting emphasis on the end choices you make. A behavior cannot be either good or evil, but a person can have good or bad character traits. Aristotle said that all people are composed of a combination of vice (bad character traits) and virtue (good character traits). He uses this concept to explain the thesis: Virtue is a disposition concerned with choice.

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The main topic of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is eudaimonia, i.e. happiness in the “living well” or “flourishing” sense (terms I will be using interchangeably). In this paper, I will present Aristotle’s view on the role of external goods and fortune for the achievement of happiness. I will argue that he considers them a prerequisite for virtue. Their contribution to happiness is indirect, via the way they affect how we can engage in rational activity according to the relevant virtues. I will then object that this view threatens to make his overall account of happiness incoherent.

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In philosophy, there are many interpretations as to what ethics are correct for that time frame. One such form of ethics was Nicomachean ethics, written by Aristotle. With his ethics, Aristotle goes to great lengths to explain, for the most part, why humanity does what it does in a reasonable and rational manner. He goes over what “good” is, and why people strive to get to that “good”. However, there are some problems that arise when trying to discuss Aristotle’s ethics.

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In Aristotle's The Politics and Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains connections between life, the constitution, and law where the goal is to pursue good in life. He states that a city (polis) common goal is to achieving good, but men in politics are "political animals". In other words, participating in political activity, test a man's virtue because the man now has a responsibilty of pursuing good for the common people. A leader who is endowed good virtue, his followers will follow and the city as a whole will aim to do good. Aristotle shows that political activity is the key to good life and where men participating in it are accomplishing and exercising their authority in common interest which becomes the standard for absolute justice.

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Aristotle, a well-known philosopher, believes that nature is what makes us who we are as a person and that environment doesn’t affect ones self-decision. Meaning also that own virtues are not taught. We are born with virtues and that should lead with us being purposeful in our actions to achieve a greater good. In his text of Nicomachean Ethics, he talks about what he thinks about human nature.

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Seventeenth century Russian philosopher Leo Tolstoy once said, “If you want to be happy, be.” His theory on happiness makes this final goal in life seem to be simple and easy to achieve. Thousands of years before Leo Tolstoy’s time, however, very different theories concerning this goal surfaced from various sources that made this goal of happiness seem much more difficult and unattainable. Two of these sources included The Bible, specifically the Old Testament, and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. In the Book of Job in the Bible, one main theme conveyed to the reader is that God is the final destination; there is nothing beyond Him.

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The question about virtue and happiness has been always debated due to the fact that these categories have different reflections in every human mind. In his work “Nicomachean Ethics”, Aristotle settled the notions of these definitions that are used right now as the basis for further philosophical thinking. The same can be said about the problem of defining the function as an objective notion or a subjective one that is not brand-new for the philosophy as well. “The being is prior to any relation it has”, mentioned the philosopher. If there is a musical instrument, it means that it is created already with the purpose – to produce the music, and this purpose is applied by the creator of the instrument.

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Is pleasure what we strive for or is it the icing on top? It can be argued that pleasure in the end and final goal for all rational beings. However, pleasures can be good or bad, and the end goal of life should be to do well. But then how can one person argue pleasure as being the final desire, if it may be bad. Aristotle takes a unique approach to describing the nature of pleasure within his text, The Nicomachean Ethics.

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In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the concept of happiness is introduced as the ultimate good one can achieve in life as well as the ultimate goal of human existence. As Aristotle goes on to further define happiness, one can see that his concept is much different from the 21st-century view. Aristotelian happiness can be achieved through choosing to live the contemplative life, which would naturally encompass moralistic virtue. This differs significantly from the modern view of happiness, which is heavily reliant on material goods. To a person in the 21st-century, happiness is simply an emotional byproduct one experiences as a result of acquiring material goods.

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Aristotle advanced the philosophy of ethics, where he demonstrated that it is a means of achieving an end to happiness. However, happiness means many things to different people. To Aristotle, the most adequate way to pursue happiness is through the virtue of excellence. In his writings, Aristotle connected his therory of virtue to economics, and leadership as well. It is a matter of connecting ones personal ethics to that of ones business ethics.

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