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Explain and summarize Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics. Do you think it is a valid ethical system? Why or why not? Give your reasons.
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Explain and summarize Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics. Do you think it is a valid ethical system? Why or why not? Give your reasons.
To start with, Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics is considered to be the most important work in ethics. In ten books, famous Greek philosopher reveals his concepts in defining ethics. Aristotle defines the notion of happiness in connection with virtue, moral education, friendship, and contemplation. Of course, the work was written in the distant past, but it still presents a valid ethical system which has the correspondence to the moral, ethical principles.
To start with, Aristotle highlights that the perception of virtue is different for everyone, and there are a lot of factors which influence it. For example, people's moral principles, mentality, the society they live in and its formative culture peculiarities. The highest human good is considered to be in close relations with the sense of happiness. As all people have different characters, attitudes to life, moral values, it is difficult to define the conditions on which their happiness depends. Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, writes that the highest human good "proves to be the activity of the soul in accord with virtue" (Aristotle, trans. Irvin T., 1999). In other words, it is the way of a person's appropriate behavior in the situations of different nature and difficulty in his or her life.
Concerning the philosopher, the principal factor which coordinates people's decisions towards good or bad actions is a soul. But this process is reciprocal because the soul, in its turn, is forming according to people's actions. The life with the feeling of satisfaction is connected with some level of pleasure; this pleasure, by Aristotle, is the activity determined by virtue. Virtue is a quality of a person's character; it highlights doing any action taking into account both rational
As Aristotle has thinks about moral hypothesis as a field unmistakable from the hypothetical sciences. Its procedure must match its topic—great activity—and must regard the way that in this field numerous speculations hold just generally. We examine morals with a specific end goal to enhance our lives, and in this manner it's important concern is the way of human prosperity. Aristotle takes after Socrates and Plato in taking the excellencies to be integral to an all around lived life. Aristotle said that "Bliss relies on upon ourselves." More than any other individual, Aristotle cherishes satisfaction as a focal motivation behind human life and an objective in itself. Thus he commits more space to the theme of bliss than any mastermind before the present day era.Happiness (or prospering or living great) is a finished and adequate great. This infers (a) that it is sought for itself, (b) that it is not covered for whatever else, (c) that it fulfills all longing and has no malevolence blended in with it, and (d) that it is steady.
“Happiness depends on ourselves,” according to Aristotle. Aristotle preserves happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. He dedicated most of his work to the topic of happiness, more than any philosopher prior to the modern era. Aristotle was convinced that a genuinely happy life required the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as mental well-being. In this way he introduced the idea of a science of happiness in the classical sense, in terms of a new field of knowledge.
Aristotle's ethic Nicomachean seems to be like a pratical guide for ethical living. Of course as the title indicates Aristotle is concerned with laying a set of ethics. However instead of giving people a set of rules to follow, he focuses on the type of people they should because he's actually trying to provide the reader with practical advice here not just philosophy. He starts by his analysis where he explains that human actions always seek a goal. Basically saying all of our pursuits have a purpose. He also indicates that an end is a good . His meaning of good in ethics is something that is useful, pleasant, and beautiful because those are the three things that we are drawn to naturally as humans . Then he also links goods to pleasure,
Aristotle defines virtue as behavior one cultivates through practices, habits, and moderation. Also interprets the role of virtue and the importance in moderation in the “middle way” and “gold mean”. In addition “golden mean” is represented as the nature or development of virtues in which are essential to accomplish the ultimate goal, happiness. It is a way of life that enables us to live in worship and to offer the good of the whole not just the individual. Also virtue is explained as two extremes of excess (possessing too much) and deficiency (possessing too little) behavior.
Aristotle examined many people around him and analyzed the way they lived their lives. He found out that some were able to live good lives, but some did not achieve that goal. He also noticed that they all did different things with the purpose to achieve happiness. Some ended up dissatisfied with their lives through their journey; however they all wanted a good and happy life. Thus the highest good for a human is happiness. Furthermore, as Aristotle explained in his book the Nicomachean Ethics happiness is an activity of the soul accord with virtue.
Aristotle contemplates that happiness can only be achieved if human actions are in accordance with their ability to reason. For this he concedes that human beings who are capable of reasoning are the only ones who can be happy. Aristotle considers happiness as the highest form of good because it is decided for its own particular purpose as opposed to an obligation. It is an intrinsic good in which it is those for the soul that are the most vital. Aristotle classifies human actions to fall into this category. There has been a debate about what happiness is really comprised of, whether it be honor, wealth, knowledge, pleasure or something more meaningful in relation to one’s soul. On the other hand, he acknowledges that happiness is unattainable in living for pleasure because a life filled with pleasures could be submissive. Together with honor he argues that respect is only attainable depending on what others consider (to
am as such. I proceed by describing Aristotle 's formulation of Virtue Ethics, relating it to
Aristotle argues that the most important thing in peoples lives is the virtue of happiness. He writes that one attains happiness by living a life of virtue - "our definition is in harmony with those who say that happiness is virtue, or a particular virtue; because an activity in accordance with virtue implies virtue. Indeed, we may go further and assert that anyone who does not delight in fine actions is not even a good man."(Aristotle) A life of virtue implies a life of reasoning for the end goal of doing what is good. Human good is fulfilling and most desirable, therefore human good in life correlates with virtue.
Each one of them must have their own function. That what will make each individual unique, and using reason to act, which would be the best and most complete virtue, instead of using the reflection of acts or consequence. Aristotle also explained that virtue is praiseworthy, but happiness is above praise, also the two kinds of virtues that was discussed were division of the soul, and resultant division of virtue into intellectual and moral.
Following the distinctions of what equates to a virtuous character, Aristotle describes what aspect of the soul results in virtue. Aristotle states that there main aspects of the soul. One being that involving feelings. Feelings are the raw human emotions which humans experience. The next aspect is being that which involves power. Power is humans’ disposition to certain feelings and their ability to be affected by them. The last aspect is that which involves habit. Aristotle concludes that the first two aspects cannot result in or involve virtue because the nature of feelings and power are not subject to praise or blame. They cannot be considered good or bad, because they are beyond our control. They exist due to nature. The last aspect of habit is the one which results in virtue. Habits involve the way one responds to the previous two elements which are beyond human control. Habit is the aspect which does involve human control
For Aristotle a virtue was something that all good characters had and which enable them to do the right thing. It is the ability to do good because you are a consistent person who is able to determine how much of a virtue needs each situation. Virtues themselves are desirable because they make life easier and more satisfying.
Aristotle believed that a person who has difficulty behaving ethically is morally imperfect. His ideal person practices the "golden mean of moderation." He believed that this moral virtue, of which happiness comes from, is a matter of avoiding extremes in behavior and finding the mean between them. Aristotle conceives happiness not primarily as an exercise of virtue in private or with friends, but as the exercise of virtue in governing an ideal state. Hence, a person who acts for his or her own well must also act for the good of all fellow citizens. Aristotle points out that honor, pleasure, and wealth are the things believed to make people happy. He stated that honor is superficial because it can be taken away at any moment. He said pleasure was enjoyable but that it is more an animal quality than human, and that wealth is merely a means to towards a greater good. He taught moderation, and that these three vices could be pursued but not as an all encompassing goal.
Anna says that people desire a conclusive theory on ethics. It is human nature to demand a clear path that does not meander into oblivion. Matters Ethics and Morality take twists and turns that seem to end in no specific action plan. Philosophers that came after J.S mill, Bentham, Kant, Aristotle and many more have strived to find a conclusive theory to Ethics. Ethics and any other branch of Philosophy has proven to be so problematic. Applicability of Ethics peddled by recent philosophers might prove to be as futile as before. Anyway, an objective look at virtue Ethics is still desirable. The recognition of virtue by modern society shows that Aristotle’s is impactful and necessary just as it was before. Major religions today still observe virtue. Modern day ethics scholars pain themselves with looking for systematic action plans on ethics. Ethics is no longer the domain of pragmatic thinkers, but empiricists who wish to disentangle this riddle. In this paper, I will show how Aristotle’ ethics can be applied to modern contexts through Julia Anna’s proposal. I will also argue why applying Virtue Ethics in universal scale is almost impossible.
Aristole’s Nichomachean Ethics is a critically acclaimed piece of literature that has laid the framework for philosophy as we know it today. It is considered to be a historical piece that was the first to address ethics in a unified, clear, and concise manner. The book was translated by F. H. Peters with an introduction by Hye-Kyung Kim. Aristotle was one of the great early philosophers who ventured to speak to humans about how they conducted themselves as they related to others; however, some of Aristotle’s ideologies were debated by his counterparts for hundreds of years. Aristotle’s plethora of ideas was and has been adopted by past and present philosophers as they approached subject matter that had very few definitive answers.
Ethics have been around for a long time; The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was one of the first to study what defines ethics. To him, ethics was more than a moral, religious, or legal concept. He believed that the most important element in ethical behaviour is knowledge that actions are accomplished for the betterment of the common good. Aristotle asked whether actions performed by individuals or groups are good both for an individual or a group and for society. To determine what is ethically good for the individual and for society, Aristotle said, it is necessary to possess three virtues of practical wisdom: temperance, courage, and justice.