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Summary Of Generosity Thassa And Spock Thornell

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In the story Generosity Thassa and Spock Thornell are characterizations of Aristotelian and Stoic ethics. These two dynamics clash after Spock attempts to rape Thassa. After the aforementioned rape, the power dynamic shifts from Spock to Thassa. As a result, Thassa wrongly distorts the Aristotelian concept of happiness and selflessness and allows for the continuation of Spock’s misguided Stoic suffering. For Aristotle, people may have different targets for happiness. Despite the different targets, happiness is something towards which we should all aim. Thassa has a different aim than the people around her, even the police. Her outlook on the events that transpired turns on whether the rape took place. If it did, she would most likely seek justice …show more content…

Forgiveness, within the theoretical level, is a noble pursuit. For Aristotle, the noble pursuit of theoretical virtue is not enough. “For virtue belongs to the virtuous activity” (Annas 324). Thassa fails to move from the theoretical realm into the realm of reality and only relies exclusively relies on internal happiness. The reality of the situation before her is that Spock believed he needs to be punished for the actions he committed by not allowing Spock to be punished, harm is done to him. Is harm inflicting forgiveness a virtuous pursuit? What other choices did Thassa have? Aristotle believed, “human good turns out to be activity of the soul exhibiting excellence, and if there are more than one excellence, in accordance with the best and most complete” (Annas 323). This should be the standard to assess Thassa’s possible choices. First, she could allow Spock to be punished and not forgive him. Spock’s interior need for punishment would be satisfied, and justice would be served. However, Thassa would not satisfy her internal need to forgive Spock. This option does not satisfy the Aristotelian theory of …show more content…

The moral thing for Spock to do in this situation was to turn himself in to the police, which he did. He went to the police and attempted to correct the wrong he committed through action. For the Stoics, “Either ‘right actions’ or ‘rightly performed actions’ contain all measures of virtue” (Annas 330). And virtue for the Stoic is sufficient for happiness. This premise raises an interesting question; if Spock attempts to turn himself in and there are no charges brought against him, then are his actions sufficiently just and virtuous? Or is the justice and virtue of the situation contingent upon Thassa pressing charges against Spock? To Spock it seems the latter option is where true virtue lies. He would rather have his harmful actions punished than go unpunished. In order for Spock to be forgiven, he needs to remedy the situation through the criminal justice system in order to be virtuous. But once again Spock deviates from Stoicism. It’s one thing for Spock to be upset towards Thassa because she failed to press charges. It’s another thing for Spock to accept the situation, like a true Stoic, and move on with his life. He seems to be too focused on the external realities producing interior happiness. True Stoics do not need external goods to be

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