Instrumental Goods In Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics

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1. In Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, instrumental goods are those that are pursued for the sake of achieving some other end or goal, while ultimate goods are those that are pursued for their own sake and are the ultimate aim of human action. The good life, according to Aristotle, is one in which a person achieves a state of eudaimonia, or flourishing, which is the ultimate good. Instrumental goods, such as wealth or honor, are only valuable insofar as they contribute to a person's eudaimonia. Thus, the pursuit of instrumental goods must be subordinated to the pursuit of ultimate goods in order to achieve a truly good life.

2. In Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, pleasure is a temporary and subjective feeling that arises from sensory experiences, while happiness (eudaimonia) is a long-term state of being that arises from living a virtuous life. …show more content…

In Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, virtue is a habit or disposition that enables a person to act in accordance with reason, while vice is a habit or disposition that leads a person to act against reason. Virtue is developed through habituation and moral education, and it leads to eudaimonia or the good life, while vice leads to a life of misery and suffering. Virtue is the mean between two extremes of excess and deficiency, while vice involves either excess or deficiency.

4. In Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, intellectual virtues are acquired through learning and include skills such as mathematics, science, and philosophy, while moral virtues are developed through habituation and include qualities such as honesty, courage, and kindness. Intellectual virtues are necessary for leading a good life, but moral virtues are more important since they enable a person to act in accordance with reason and achieve eudaimonia or the good life. Intellectual virtues can be taught through instruction, while moral virtues are developed through practice and repetition. Both types of virtues are necessary for living a virtuous