ipl-logo

Nicomachean Ethics: The Influence Of Aristotle On Virtue

923 Words4 Pages

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and a student at PLATO’S Academy. After Plato’s death, Aristotle left the academy and traveled the country before returning to Athens in 334 BC where he founded his own school, the Lyceum. (pg xiii) Many of his works were lost over the years. Those that survived, and are completed works, are thought to have come from his lectures at Lyceum. (pg xiv) One of his best, known works, Nicomachean Ethics, examines what Aristotle believes it takes for a human being to be a good person. (pg xvi-xvii) Aristotle states that the human good is an activity of the soul in accord with virtue. This means that something good is the result of what someone rationally aims, through some action. (pg 9) Aristotle suggests that the …show more content…

In order to do this, one must achieve this through some sort of learning. (pg 12) It is through habit and repeated practice that one develops a virtuous character. (pg 19) Aristotle says that human virtue is virtue of the soul and not the body. (pg 16) It is a state of character with choice based on reasoning. (pg 19) The right choices are always those that determine what is good in the long run. In order to have complete happiness, one must have complete virtue. ( pg 15) This requires a person to make choices between lesser goods, which give immediate gratification, and greater goods, which are often painful, but are better in the end. (pg 21) For example, a person might choose to go to a party over studying for a test. While the party would bring them instant gratification, not doing the more painful thing of studying, will harm their grade in the end. Aristotle says that to be truly happy, a person must possess all virtues (pg …show more content…

The person still had a choice whether they were going to lie or not. (pg 30) These types of actions would most likely not be praised for doing something morally wrong, but they would be pardoned because of the circumstance. (pg 31) Aristotle would say that the person didn’t possess the right qualities of virtue in the first place and so they were not able to perform their function well. (pg 23) Since this act was neither divine, or blessed, it cannot lead to happiness. (pg 12) He says that if someone does an immoral act, they will be in error. (pg 25) So, Aristotle insists that a virtuous person will make the right choices in any

Show More
Related

Aristotle's Nicomachean Argument Analysis

313 Words | 2 Pages

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that the human good is the soul’s activity that expresses virtue. Aristotle concludes this from an invalid argument. On the one hand I do agree that the activity expressing virtue is a requirement for the human good. But on the other hand, I insist that the human good is a state and not an action. By modifying this argument, I believe we can reach a new conclusion that will help us better understand what Aristotle meant by these concepts.

Read More

Finality Of Happiness In Aristotle's 'Nicomachean Ethics'

657 Words | 3 Pages

Yet this is seen as a platitude by Aristotle because some people are referred to as good people when they perform their humanly function well (1097b 22-25). For example the function of a painter is to paint well, and that makes a good painter. The function of man is reason. (1098a 4) Therefore a good person will be one who follows reason by exhibiting virtue.

Read More

Evaluating Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

1495 Words | 6 Pages

He describes the objection as, “all men desire the apparent good, but have no control over the appearance, but the end appears to each man in a form answering to his character” (1114b).   This view argues that all people pursue that which seems good, but some people cannot see the true good, which is out of their control.   The immediate implication of this objection, if it is indeed true, suggests that “no one is responsible for his own evildoing” (1114b).

Read More

Nicomachean Ethics: Upagupta And Pursuing The Good

351 Words | 2 Pages

Upagupta and Pursuing the Good Aristotle, in The Nicomachean Ethics, said that “achieving the good is more than being happy, it is to realize in your public life some form of excellence of virtue that is moral (Ethics). In the Asokavadana, Upagupta, as the Buddha, achieves pursuing the good by helping others and spreading the Truths. In the first paragraph of the prologue, it says that the Buddha made sacrifices out of compassion practiced austerities for the well-being of the world (173). The first impression we get of the Buddha is one of caring and compassion for others, which is a resounding theme throughout this story.

Read More

Analysis Of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

1025 Words | 5 Pages

This principle lies at the heart of the great-souled man, the first of Aristotle’s peaks of humanly excellence. The great-souled man is chiefly concerned with—and strikes the mean with—external goods. The greatest of these goods is “the one that we assign to the gods, and at which people of high standing aim most of all, and which is the prize given for the most beautiful deeds; and of this kind is honor” (67:1123b19-21). A man who has achieved greatness of soul is deserving of great honors, but more importantly, he understands his own desert and acts appropriately.

Read More

Moral Implications In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

713 Words | 3 Pages

Even though Aristotle does mention that there are five elements to living a good virtuous life, which are: friendship, pleasure, virtue, honor, and wealth, we will mostly be focusing on one aspect, friendship, because without friendship the others do not

Read More

Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Argument

1210 Words | 5 Pages

Since “any action is well performed when it is performed in accordance with the appropriate virtue”(1098a15), a good performance of function (which is a display of goodness) is virtuous. For example, a good lyre player is a virtuous player. In the previous part, he concludes that function of humans is rational activity, or the soul acting in accordance to reason. In humans’ case, a good performance of rational activity is thus a display of virtue. For example, as morality is a part of rationale, the good performance of morality can lead an individual towards a virtuous and good life.

Read More

Virtue In Aristotle, Bentham, Mill, And Mill

1090 Words | 5 Pages

Aristotle, Bentham and Mill, and Kant are all authors of different ages. During this week’s readings, all of the author's writings talk about what their beliefs when it comes to ethics and virtues. Every piece, written in a different way, yet the same. After reading all of the passages, it is my belief that the most important virtue that Aristotle argues for is moral. So what exactly is moral?

Read More

Socrates Guardians Analysis

1274 Words | 6 Pages

To him temperance and self mastery come into play when the “evil desires are pushed down by virtuous and wisdoms of the few by proper state

Read More

Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics

1819 Words | 8 Pages

“Every skill and every inquiry, and similarly every action and rational choice, is thought to aim at some good; and so the good has been aptly described as that which everything aims. But it is clear that there is some difference between ends: some ends are activities, while others are products which are additional to the activities. In cases where there are ends additional to the actions, the products are by their nature better than activities.” (Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, as translated by Crisp, 2000, p. #3) Aristotle was the first philosopher who wrote a book on ethics titled, Nichomachean Ethics.

Read More

The Chief Good In Life

1118 Words | 5 Pages

According to Aristotle, everything we do in life, we do for the sake of some good, or at least something we perceive to be good. We call an act good if it satisfies a certain need. The satisfaction of this need is then considered good if it is a means for satisfying some further need, and this in turn is good if it will satisfy still another need. Sooner or later this process reaches a point where it is no longer a means for some further end but is an end in itself. This final end is what Aristotle means by the chief good.

Read More

Aristotle's Citizenship

1750 Words | 7 Pages

(Ethics 938). It is not enough to state that one is virtuous, nor is it enough for someone to be born virtuous and end there. Rather, it is the continuous pursuit, the juxtaposition of virtuous activity and of that which isn’t, that allows an individual to flourish in an Aristotelian society. We can deduce, then, that “…human

Read More

Aristotle's Virtues Analysis

1328 Words | 6 Pages

Virtues, by contrast, we acquire just as we acquire crafts, by having first activated them” (1103a 30-33). This brings into play another important concept Aristotle mentions, habituation. Once we have established an action into a habit. It is easier to do without even thinking about it.

Read More

Aristotle: The Ultimate End Goal

929 Words | 4 Pages

Aristotles starting point is with the highest good. It is the ultimate end goal. The highest human good is always worth pursuing in its own right. It is an activity that is an end in itself. This conception allows him to isolate two features of what he determines the ‘end goal’ or ‘final purpose’.

Read More

Similarities Between Socrates And Aristotle

796 Words | 4 Pages

In order to do this, we need to 'know thyself ' and become as learned as we can, knowing the good for all, while also being humble. We are all naturally good people, so we must promote the good in the world. According to Aristotle, however, happiness, his goal for all humans is not that easy to obtain. He claims that "happiness is a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with virtue (Aristotle, p.12). On the Aristotelian model of how to obtain happiness, it deals a great deal with the issue of particulars.

Read More

More about Nicomachean Ethics: The Influence Of Aristotle On Virtue

Related Topics

Open Document