Aristotles Ethics Essay - 1754 Words

The Humanities represent mans concern with man and with the human world. In that concern there is no more important problem than the age-old one which was first discussed systematically here, in Greece, more than two thousand years ago. The problem I refer to, which the ancient Greek philosophers thought deeply about, is this one: What makes a human life good -- what makes it worth living and what must we do, not just merely to live, but to live well? In the whole tradition of Western literature and learning, one book more than any other defines this problem for us and helps us to think about it. That book of course is Aristotles Ethics, written in the fourth century before Christ. Aristotle was a student of Plato. Plato had founded the†¦show more content†¦But is this happiness the same for all men? Is each of us pursuing the same goal when we try to live in such a way that our lives will be happy ones? To answer these questions it is necessary to understand the meaning of happiness -- what constitutes a happy life. And to do that, we must, first of all, clear our minds of certain misconceptions about the meaning of the word happy -- Every day of our lives, we use the word quot;happyquot; in a sense which means quot;feeling good,quot; quot;having fun,quot; having a good time, or somehow experiencing a lively pleasure of joy. We say to our friends when they seem despondent or out of sorts, quot;I hope you will feel happier tomorrow.quot; We say quot;Happy New Yearquot; or quot;Happy Birthdayquot; or quot;Happy Anniversary.quot; Now all of these expressions refer to the pleasant feelings -- the joys or satisfactions which we may have at one moment and not at another. In this meaning of the word, it is quite possible for us to feel happy at one moment and not at the next. This is not Aristotles meaning of the word. Nor, when you think about it for a moment, can it be the meaning of the word in the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson and other signers of the Declaration had read Aristotle and Plato. This was part of their education. Both Aristotle and the Declaration use the word happiness in a sense which refers to theShow MoreRelatedAristotle Of Aristotle : Nicomachean Ethics1487 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Happiness: it’s something we humans search far and wide for, to attain before we are called home at death. We go through our daily lives, making choices, commitments, changes, decisions. We set goals for ourselves, push ourselves, hurt ourselves, inspire ourselves, lose ourselves, find ourselves†¦but why? Whether it is a conscious effort or not, no matter who you are or where you find yourself at this very moment, there is one ultimately satisfying hope that brings usRead MoreThe Ethics Of Plato And Aristotle977 Words   |  4 Pages In this essay, I will be examining the ethics of Plato and Aristotle. I will explain the five fundamental concepts of Plato and Aristotle. I will focus on their theories on the good life as a life of justice, censorship, knowledge and the good life. I will first explain Plato’s ethics. Plato was a philosopher, both a rationalist and absolutist. According to Plato, people must be schooled to obtain certain kinds of knowledge for example mathematics, philosophy etc. The training will give themRead MoreAristotle s Ethics And Ethics Essay891 Words   |  4 Pagessays 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 s o problematic. Applicability of Ethics peddled by recent philosophers might prove toRead MoreAristotle Ethics Essay1910 Words   |  8 Pages2/19/07 Aristotle Ethics Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics provides a sensible account for what true moral virtue is and how one may go about attaining it. Aristotle covers many topics that help reach this conclusion. One of them being the idea of mean between the extremes. Although Aristotle provided a reliable account for many philosophers to follow, Rosalind Hursthouse along with many others finds lose ends and topics which can be easily misinterpreted in Aristotles writing. Aristotle explainsRead MoreThe Nicomachean Ethics By Aristotle874 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle â€Å"EVERY art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim† (Ross, n.d.). Aristotle believed that both external (wealth, material possessions) and internal (temperance, courage, etc.) contributed to a person’s happiness and that a person’s final goal was to find the â€Å"good† or their function in life. He also believed that theRead MoreThe Ethics Of Aristotle s Ethics1030 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle, Aristotle tries explain to us what the ultimate goal of the human life. He says that every activity we participate in has and ultimate goal or an end. He states that happiness is the ultimate goal in life and that every activity we engage in our daily lives is to achieve happiness. Since all activities we engage in have an end then he says that happiness is the highest of all ends. So as human beings the goal of life is to achieve the highest of allRead MoreAristotle s Ethics Of Happiness1282 Words   |  6 Pagespaper, Aristotle’s ethics of happiness and how happiness and reason relate to one another from Nicomachean Ethics will be discussed. For one to understand Aristotle’s point of view, one must first understand the meaning of good and happiness. If an individual is asked to explain what is good, they may simply begin to list out items that are good. Aristotle explained that a person can easily compose a list of good things like, it is good to have friends or to be healthy. What Aristotle meant by what isRead MoreAristotle s Symposium : The Nicomachean Ethics1934 Words   |  8 Pages720532457 The Symposium verses The Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (Ethics) is regarded as one of the, if not the greatest work concerning ethics in history. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos, which translates more properly as â€Å"character†, and it would seem that Aristotle’s concern in The Ethics, is what constitutes good character, and that goodness is of practical use; that merely knowing how to be a way is only half of what’s necessary, and that the known mustRead MoreAristotle s Ethics Of Happiness1515 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, happiness is known as eudaimonia, and is an Intrinsic Good. For Aristotle, humans reach their supreme goal of eudaimonia through intellectual and moral virtues. When one can habitually and favorably find the mean between extreme actions in any situation, moral virtue is reached. Intellectual virtue is reached through phronesis, or when an individual uses his or her mind to choose a â€Å"right† decisio n. The cultivation of habit is necessary for Aristotle because when choosingRead MoreAristotle And Kant : Virtue Ethics1847 Words   |  8 PagesAristotle and Kant are great philosophers who have made substantial efforts to focus on the issue of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is a wide term for principles that focus on the moral act that brings about good values. Aristotle and Kant are virtue ethicist since they attempt to offer moral advice to the society. Most virtue ethicist emulates Aristotle who affirmed that a righteous person should have the ideal traits. These traits originate from natural innermost tendencies but societies need to