Julia Brown
Dr. Smith
Seminar Prep: Nicomachean Ethics
15 October 2015
Passage: “Moreover, the friendship of good people is the only one that is immune to slander. For it is not easy to trust anyone speaking against someone whom we ourselves have found reliable for a long time; and among good people there is trust, the belief that he would never do injustice, and all the other things expected in a true future friendship. But in the other types of friendship [distrust] may easily arise.” (Book VIII, 4, 3)
Essay:
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E) was concerned with the measure of a good life. He believed that a “good life” was defined by one’s character. If you lead a life of virtue, your life was a happy one, therefore good. Some important virtues included courage, temperance, generosity, and friendliness. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he defines virtues and vices as states of one’s character. These states are further divided into the excess, mean, and deficient categories. One’s character can only be expressed in one of the above categories for a specific virtue. This idea can be seen in ancient Greek literature,
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He claims that in order for an action to be virtuous, it must include the following: “…having these feelings at the right times, about the right things, toward the right people, for the right end, and in the right way…” According to these guidelines for virtue, the character Antigone does not express the virtue of bravery. She exemplifies the excess vice of bravery: rashness. After breaking the King’s law and burying her brother, she shows no fear of punishment and excess confidence in her action. She does not apologize to King Creon because she feels her act was just. As punishment for disobeying the law, she is faced with death. In her situation, she does not demonstrate any fear whatsoever. However, she does display surplus confidence in her choice and defends her doing until her