In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, he discusses the three common 'ways of life' that most people live. What are these lives? Why does Aristotle reject them as the best way to live? Aristotle on the 'Three Types of Lives'From Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThree Lives ComparedIn Book I Aristotle says that three kinds of lives are thought to be especially attractive: one isdevoted to pleasure, a second to politics, and a third to knowledge and understanding(1095b17–19). In Book X.6-9 he returns to these three alternatives, and explores them morefully than he had in Book I. The life of pleasure is construed in Book I as a life devoted to physicalpleasure, and is quickly dismissed because of its vulgarity (it is more fit for animals who live "alife of grazing"). In Book X.6, Aristotle concedes that physical pleasures, and more generally,amusements of all sorts, are desirable in themselves, and therefore have some claim to be ourultimate end. But his discussion of happiness in Book X does not start from scratch; he builds onhis thesis that pleasure cannot be our ultimate target, because what counts as pleasant must bejudged by some standard other than pleasure itself, namely the judgment of the virtuous person.Amusements will not be absent from a happy life, since everyone needs relaxation and pleasurefills this need. But pleasure and amusement play a subordinate role, because we seek relaxationin order to return to more important activities.Aristotle turns therefore, in Book X.7-8, to the two remaining alternatives-politics and a lifedevoted to knowledge or philosophy-and presents a series of arguments to show that thephilosophical life, a life devoted to theoria (contemplation, study), is best. Aristotle is not talkinghere about a process of learning that leads to understanding, because such knowledge is alwaysundertaken for the sake of a further goal. Instead, what Aristotle has in mind when he talksabout theoria is the activity of someone who has already achieved theoretical wisdom. Thehappiest life is lived by someone who is knowledgeable and philosophical, and who has theresources needed for living a life devoted to the exercise of that understanding. [...] He comparesit to the life of a god: god thinks without interruption and endlessly, and a philosopher enjoyssomething similar for a limited period of time.It may seem odd that after devoting so much attention to the practical virtues, Aristotle shouldconclude his treatise with the thesis that the best activity of the best life is not ethical, butinstead intellectual. But it is difficult to believe that he intends to reverse himself so abruptly,and there are many indications that he intends the arguments of Book X.7-8 to be continuouswith the themes he emphasizes throughout the rest of the Ethics. The best way to understandhim is to take him to be assuming that one will need the ethical virtues in order to achieve andlive an intellectual life. To arrive at and be adequately equipped to live a life of thought anddiscussion, one will need practical wisdom, moderation, justice, and the other ethical virtues.Although Aristotle's principal goal in Book X.7-8 is to show the superiority of 'the life pursuingknowledge' to politics, he does not deny that a political life is a happy one. Perfect happiness, hesays, consists in contemplation; but he indicates that the life devoted to practical thought and

Question

In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, he discusses the three common 'ways of life' that most people live. What are these lives? Why does Aristotle reject them as the best way to live? Aristotle on the 'Three Types of Lives'From Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyThree Lives ComparedIn Book I Aristotle says that three kinds of lives are thought to be especially attractive: one isdevoted to pleasure, a second to politics, and a third to knowledge and understanding(1095b17–19). In Book X.6-9 he returns to these three alternatives, and explores them morefully than he had in Book I. The life of pleasure is construed in Book I as a life devoted to physicalpleasure, and is quickly dismissed because of its vulgarity (it is more fit for animals who live &#34;alife of grazing&#34;). In Book X.6, Aristotle concedes that physical pleasures, and more generally,amusements of all sorts, are desirable in themselves, and therefore have some claim to be ourultimate end. But his discussion of happiness in Book X does not start from scratch; he builds onhis thesis that pleasure cannot be our ultimate target, because what counts as pleasant must bejudged by some standard other than pleasure itself, namely the judgment of the virtuous person.Amusements will not be absent from a happy life, since everyone needs relaxation and pleasurefills this need. But pleasure and amusement play a subordinate role, because we seek relaxationin order to return to more important activities.Aristotle turns therefore, in Book X.7-8, to the two remaining alternatives-politics and a lifedevoted to knowledge or philosophy-and presents a series of arguments to show that thephilosophical life, a life devoted to theoria (contemplation, study), is best. Aristotle is not talkinghere about a process of learning that leads to understanding, because such knowledge is alwaysundertaken for the sake of a further goal. Instead, what Aristotle has in mind when he talksabout theoria is the activity of someone who has already achieved theoretical wisdom. Thehappiest life is lived by someone who is knowledgeable and philosophical, and who has theresources needed for living a life devoted to the exercise of that understanding. [...] He comparesit to the life of a god: god thinks without interruption and endlessly, and a philosopher enjoyssomething similar for a limited period of time.It may seem odd that after devoting so much attention to the practical virtues, Aristotle shouldconclude his treatise with the thesis that the best activity of the best life is not ethical, butinstead intellectual. But it is difficult to believe that he intends to reverse himself so abruptly,and there are many indications that he intends the arguments of Book X.7-8 to be continuouswith the themes he emphasizes throughout the rest of the Ethics. The best way to understandhim is to take him to be assuming that one will need the ethical virtues in order to achieve andlive an intellectual life. To arrive at and be adequately equipped to live a life of thought anddiscussion, one will need practical wisdom, moderation, justice, and the other ethical virtues.Although Aristotle's principal goal in Book X.7-8 is to show the superiority of 'the life pursuingknowledge' to politics, he does not deny that a political life is a happy one. Perfect happiness, hesays, consists in contemplation; but he indicates that the life devoted to practical thought and

Accepted Answer

Social stratification is a central concept in sociology that refers to the hierarchical arrangement…