...The Nicomachean Ethics is a famous book, where Aristotle follows Socrates and Plato in discussing the virtues of a central to a well-lived life. In this specific passage, Aristotle regards the ethical virtue of Friendliness to be a central part of social intercourse. Aristotle describes how different people act differently in different situations because of the social situation and kind of person they are. The passage builds the case to show how people are different, and how we should be able to better identify who a true friend truly is. There are different types of friendship, friendship based on greed, and friendship based on goodness of character. This assignment will discuss and better interpret these different characteristics which Aristotle...
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...The last question to address is, how is one’s individual potential shaped by one’s relationships to others? The reading on Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle goes into great depth on the many types of friendships and how each one differs from the next. Aristotle identifies the three main types of friendships; the friendship of goodness, friendship for the sake of utility, and friendship for the sake of pleasure. The friendship that only seeks pleasure is, according to Aristotle, a bad friendship because the goal is merely to benefit one person and not both people in the relationship. This relationship’s foundation is based on each person’s vices rather than their virtues (Aristotle 3). When one does not possess a virtuous relationship, they are...
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...Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Ethics defined a virtuous act to be an act that satisfied three conditions. He further elaborated on it using his function argument to emphasize that acting virtuously according to reason fulfilled our function and brought us pleasure. This claim seems to be in tension with Kant’s view that a dutiful action is motivated by the reason for your action, maxims, undertaken out of reverence to the moral law. Although dutiful actions conform to ‘the good will’, they may conflict with happiness. I will argue through Aristotle’s function argument, Kant’s definition of a good will and the parallels of their requirements for moral acts that although their claims about the nature of virtuous and dutiful action seem to be in tension with each other, they both agree the source of virtuous and dutiful actions is reason....
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...From seeking enjoyment to avoiding grief, most people's goal in life is about achieving happiness. However, how to define and obtain happiness in one's life and also living it virtuous can be challenging. When we consider the questions of how we should live our lives, we often seek for some method or schematic that we can apply to help us classify our actions and qualities as good, bad, or indifferent. Such a means of methodology would surely make it easier to determine what the right thing to do is. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle formulates a concept in which we can integrate into our lives to measure and characterize our actions and choices. This concept is called the Doctrine of the Mean and according to Aristotle if we utilize his...
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...There is no contesting that Abraham as he appears in Genesis has faith in God. Although this is true, many hold Abraham to be an example of what faith should look like despite reoccurring examples of his occasional lack of total faith in certain situations. In line with this, many would assume that Abraham possesses a virtuous character, as many perceive faith to be a virtue. However, by Aristotle’s definition of virtue as it is presented in Nicomachean Ethics, faith itself would not be a virtue but in fact an excess condition of trust and loyalty. It because of Abraham’s lack of total faith in God – which is itself would be considered a vice for two reasons: because it is an excess condition and because it doesn’t account for self-interest...
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...Name Tutor Course Date Nicomachean ethics This is a book by Aristotle and is often regarded as the best work on ethics. In this book, Aristotle focuses on the different types of friendship, how the friendships form, and how long they last depending on the reasons for the friendship. This paper will focus on the types of friendship as advanced by Aristotle, illustrate what he meant by saying friendship based on virtue and my views towards this subject. Aristotle differentiates between three types of friendship. First, he singles out mutual, recognized love among people with respect for one another. Their friendship is for mutual benefit. They love each other for the good they get from each other. These kinds of friends wish each other well in respect of the love they have for one another. The second class of friends according to Aristotle is those who love for pleasure. They do not get into friendship because they admire each other’s character but because they derive pleasure from one another. In this type of friendship, one looks at the pleasure that is derivable from the friend. The friendship continues as long as there is pleasure derived. For this reason, this type of friendship is only incidental. The friendship dissolves away easily in case one friend ceases to get the pleasure previously derived or if one of the friends changes in character. If one party ceases to be pleasant and useful, the other party withdraws from the friendship. Aristotle argues that...
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...because a lot of the discussion at the school took place while walking the grounds (“Encarta: Aristotle”). He taught the young conqueror Alexander, who became Alexander the Great, and thereafter his writings were lost and not recovered until the 1st century B.C. During the middle ages they were translated into Latin and Arabic and became a basis for Christian theology. In 2000 years no one has came close to his brilliance except for Leonardo Da Vinci (Cunningham, Lawrence and Reich p.81). Aristotle is most famous for his detailed work about the physical world and nature, in which, a lot of his findings are used in modern day biology (“Aristotle: Philosopher”). He is most famous for his view on ethics. For his son, Nicomachus he named his book on ethics the Nicomachean Ethics (“Encarta: Aristotle”)....
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...Political Science 201 November 12, 2013 Anna Umstead Plato and Aristotle, arguably two of the most influential Greek philosophers, discussed their differing views on virtue extensively throughout many of their works. Although they agree that virtue is a desirable characteristic that will lead to happiness, the ultimate good, there exists between the two philosophies salient differences. While Plato believes only philosophers are capable of true, inherent virtue, Aristotle believes all men can be virtuous with practice and dedication. GREAT. WAY TO GET TO THE POINT. BE SURE TO MENTION WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE ARGUING THAT VIRTUE IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD. HAVE IT SMACK ME IN THE FACE IT'S SO OBVIOIUS. (LIKE THAT TYPO). Plato’s Republic contains one of the greatest recorded discussions on the nature of justice. His definition of justice can be interpreted today as virtue, or the proper working of the soul. Plato argues in this work that virtue is inherently good only when it is manifest in the perfectly ordered soul of the philosopher. This philosopher is born just and inherently good, thereby making him the only individual capable of loving and seeking after virtue completely. …..... I'M GUESSING THIS ATTACHES TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH? AND I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT “BORN JUST”. REMEMBER, IT ISN'T “INBORN” BUT IT IS NATURAL. YOU AREN'T BORN THAT WAY. YOU TEND TOWARDS IT, THOUGH. Only through virtue, or justice as he calls it, can a man receive happiness, and this hints at the inherent...
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...ARISTOTLE’S PRUDENCE IN UPHOLDING THE VANISHING FILIPINO VALUE; DELICADEZA A Termpaper Presented to Dr. Rodrigo Abenes,PH.D Rogationist Seminary College-Manila In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy Submitted by: Sem. Joseph Jeric C. Umangga ARISTOTLE’S PRUDENCE IN UPHOLDING THE VANISHING FILIPINO VALUE; DELICADEZA I. INTRODUCTION Ancestors during their times are known for being disciplined and decent citizens.[1]Ancient law makers had filled the Philippines through instituting laws, rules and regulations to provide the citizens a peaceful and orderly way of life. Through the obedience of the Filipinos, they had practiced to be always properly conducted every time in accordance with the place they dwell with. Later on, Filipinos have found the conclusion which is to include the value called Delicadeza as one of the Filipino values. II. DELICADEZA AS A VALUE Delicadeza is a Spanish word coined from “Delicado” which means fragile, irreplaceable and precious.[2] In Spanish it can mean many things – ‘delicacy’, ‘kindness’, ‘tact.’ The word implies a care for what others think and the accordant behavior this requires from the person in act. When one does not exhibit delicadeza then one does not care what others think and will behave despite what has been deemed ‘improper. ’ Delicadeza, in this sense, can be seen to underline a sense of community...
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...supporting one’s life through material possessions makes the attainment of happiness possible. There are several ways in which Aristotle approaches the question of what happiness consists of. First, Aristotle notes that flourishing for plants and animals consists in their functioning well according to their natures. So one question we should ask is this: What is the proper or peculiar function of a human being? The function of man, something unique to him, is “an activity of soul which follows or implies a rational principle” (Nicomachean Ethics, Part 7, Line 29). Aristotle writes, “Human good turns out to be activity of soul in accordance with virtue, and if there is more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete” (Nicomachean Ethics, Part 7, Line 33). This means that the active use of reason is man’s special function. This is not simply the use of reason, but the “excellent use of reason” which is virtuous activity (Nicomachean Ethics, Part 7, Line 32). This is the end toward which all other goals are directed and human fulfillment, happiness and, since it is based in this human...
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...ID - 22780878 Essay #3 – Aristotle’s Function Argument In this essay, I will be discussing Aristotle’s function argument. This argument is found in Nicomachean ethics, in which Aristotle claims that the best human good is “the soul’s rational activity expressing virtue” (1098a16-17). To better understand this claim, we must first discuss the function argument in its entirety. Aristotle prefaces this argument by presuming that the best good is happiness. What we need, however, is a clearer definition of what the best good is (1097b22-24). Beginning with the first premise of his argument, Aristotle states that we will be able to define what the best good is if we first discover what the function of a human being is. This is because the good (i.e. doing well in anything that has a function and characteristic action) depends on the function itself (1097b26-29). If this is true, then we can apply this concept to human beings, if human beings do indeed have a function. Furthermore, Aristotle questions if human beings have a function at all, aside from the functions projected onto them by whatever occupation they serve in society (i.e. farmer, blacksmith). In his argument’s second premise, Aristotle states that if every bodily part in a human being has a function, we can similarly attribute a function to the human being as a whole. This premise acts upon Aristotle’s argument prior to the function argument in Nicomachean ethics, which states that numerous goods can serve higher...
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...Aristotle’s Account of Pleasure We are a pleasure driven society always waiting to be amused. Self indulgence is a very natural aspect of human life. Does pleasure affect our lives? Will it make us happy at the end? Well, Aristotle will let us know what it means to be happy and have a good life in the Nicomachean Ethics. In the process, he reveals his own account of pleasure as well as other philosophers opposing views on the subject. The author highlights the key them by telling us that pleasure is not the chief good. However, it is an end in itself, which makes it good. In addition, pleasure is also not a process because it doesn’t involve any movement from incompleteness to completeness. According to Aristotle, happiness is known as the Greek word Eudemonia. It is the chief good which makes it an end in itself and is what we should all aim for. In the Ethics Aristotle is trying to unfold the opposed views of other philosophers. The first view is based on the principle that pleasure is good, whereas the second view is believed by some that pleasure is a negative concept. Philosophers such as Eudoxus, agree with the first view and argues that we all try to avoid pain instead desire pleasure therefore, pleasure must be good. It may not be the final good, but it is an end in itself. He also argues that when pleasure is added to any good, it makes it better. For example, to just temperate actions makes it worthy of choice, and that it is only by itself that good...
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...Aristotle view upon oil and coal restrictions The "tragedy of the commons” is a theory presented by Garrett Hardin in which an unattended or common limited resource is available to anybody who wants to use it. In his theory Garrett states that individuals, groups, or organizations can slowly deplete a common resource if no regulations are implemented. One example of our modern world “tragedy of commons” is the human dependency upon oil and coal which is a non-renewable energy source and if used without restriction may eventually become unavailable. For this reason, restrictions implemented by Washington legislators are beneficial to our sustainability. Aristotle would certainly agree with the implementation of regulations upon oil and coal since he believed in moral virtues. Aristotle would side with Washington legislators who implement restriction upon oil and coal use. Aristotle believed that the human goal is to sustain the planet and its limited resources in order to pass them onto the next generation. If people continue to abuse resources available to them without restriction, there will not be any resources left to sustain the future of humanity. In order for the planet to survive and continue to grow, sustainability is a necessary part of today's society. Aristotle would disagree with those who continuously fight against legislators and the oil and coal restrictions because he believed in the “golden mean” which implemented an idea that one should not have too much...
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...The good life can easily be defined as the prototypical life that we should all strive to live. There are countless ideas as to what exactly the good life is, some more reasonable than others. In Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle tells us what he thinks the life lived well truly is. The basis of his argument is that happiness, or eudaimonia in Greek, is the final end that humans should strive for. The first step in achieving happiness, according to Aristotle is through reason. Aristotle starts off by saying that what makes humans unique from other animals is our ability to reason. It is through reason that we can become more like the “Gods” and come closer to living Aristotle’s view of the good life. Aristotle separates reason into two distinct categories: practical reason and theoretical reason. Practical reason can be thought of as the ability, through contemplation, to decide what one ought to do. Theoretical reason, on the other hand, can be viewed as reasoning that is directed at answering questions that are, coincidentally enough, theoretical. By theoretical I mean questions that are concerned with explaining and predicting what is going on around us. Going back to Aristotle’s assertion that reason is what separates us from lower beings, we can see that he is probably referring more to theoretical reason as opposed to practical reason. Any animal can exercise practical reason in determining what to do to survive, but can an animal reason theoretically? Aristotle says no and...
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...ARISTOTLE'S POLIS: NATURE, HAPPINESS, AND FREEDOh1 Ideologists of all stripes seem to have difficulty dealing with t h e foundations of what is loosely called the ""Western tradition," t h a t is, the body of knowledge that has come down to us from Athens a n d Jerusalem. Of course, these days Jerusalem is simply ignored. T h e classical tradition, however, must be dealt with. Yet it is frequently so transfigured that what emerges is what the ideologist wishes u s t o see, rather than what is these. The most ambitious attempt at this sort of thing by a 'Yiberal" ideologist is Eric A. Havelock's T h e Liberal Temper in Greek Politics.' More recently and on a smaller scale, Fred Miller has, in the pages of this journal, interpreted one aspect of the classical tradition from the standpoint of "~ibertarianY' political theory, in his essay "The State and the Community in Aristotle's Polieics. "' This curious attempt to defend the "libertarianism9' of Lykophron and Mippodamus3 against Aristotle's '6ppaternalism9'is a daring, if ill-conceived, enterprise. In Miller's presentation, Aristotle seems t o emerge as a villain who misunderstand the enlightened political thought of the Greek "libertarians" and, we are to infer, derails subsequent political thought in the name of "'paternalism." Fundamental to Miller's reading of the Politics is the idea t h a t there is a distinction between ""cmmunity" and "'state" that Aristotle confuses in his use of golis. He argues that...
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