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Aristotle and ethics understanding
Compare two ethical frameworks
Aristotle on ethics
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Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics explores the idea of an ethical framework based on virtues, deliberation, and choice. The key to being virtuous is to strike a balance between the extremes on either side of a virtue. Arriving at what constitutes as a virtuous balance is achieved through the process of deliberation and then action. Sartre and the existentialists say that existence precedes essence; the good starts from human subjectivity rather than from known virtues. Through a person’s choices, they determine what is good. Though their theories of what constitutes the good may differ, choice is a key element of both ethical frameworks. The differences that each ethical framework has about what the good is are not mutually exclusive. In fact, existentialism encompasses Aristotle’s views.
Existentialists believe that existence precedes essence. This means that humankind exists first and is later defined; it means that man begins as nothing and must make himself because there is no human nature. Sartre likens man to a project, but one that is experienced subjectively. Since man makes himself, he is responsible for himself. Sartre says that when man chooses himself, he is not just choosing for himself alone, but for all men. When man chooses what he wants to be, he creates an image of what man must be. What man chooses is always what he believes is good and he wills that all men should be good in the way he is. Man seeks to universalize his choices.
Aristotle believes that determining the Good is a part of politics. He believes that politics pursues the highest ends for human existence as a whole, the highest end being happiness. Happiness is the highest end because it is pursued as an end sufficient in itself. A happy person is ide...
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...shness and cowardice. Temperance is the mean between self-indulgence and insensibility. For Aristotle, to be virtuous is to act with moderation.
Courage and temperance are two virtues that Aristotle has chosen to identify as good. Sartre would say that Aristotle believes that these virtues are good and therefore believes that they are good for all men. In defining them and their associated vices, Aristotle is attempting to universalize his choices as choices for all men. He believes that they are the good but an existentialist would say that they are only good for Aristotle and those who choose the same thing. A similar statement could be made of Kant, Mill, or any code of ethics which suggests that the good is knowable. In reality, all predeterministic ethical theorists are just existentialists who have made their choices and are attempting to universalize them.
At this point, one might want to examine closer what Aristotle denotes by virtue, by what means it can be obtained, and what the effects of virtuousness are on something that possesses it. Aristotle identifies virtue as “a state that decides…the mean relative to us, which is defined by reference to reason… It is a mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency.” The key concept in this definition is the mean relative to us, by which Aristotle understands the intermediate between something that is equidistant from each extremity . As he puts it, in everything continuous and divisible we can take either too much of something, too little, or some intermediate that is between the excess and deficiency. Moreover, the mean relative to us is not merely a mathematical intermediate halfway between the two extremes. For if, Aristotle explains, “ten pounds is a lot for someone o eat, and two pounds a little, I does not follow that the train...
Many Christians rejected the philosophy of existentialism on the grounds that it denies “the reality and seriousness of human affairs” and that man will “be incapable… of condemning either the point of view or the action of anyone else.” (Sartre 1). Sartre denies this claim later in Existentialism is a Humanism by rejecting the misconception that an existentialist holds no conviction. Rather, he states, existentialists have the most conviction of anyone, because in “choosing for himself he chooses for all men.” (Sartre 4) Sartre claims this to be the “deeper meaning of existentialism.” It is the subjectivity of what is good or evil, the essence that man decides for himself, that has an impact on everyone else; within this subjectivity lies the responsibility for bettering mankind, a responsibility few men would choose to ignore.
In Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, he writes on the principle of the good. Every action or choice that a person makes is aimed at some good, and
Aristotle develops his virtue ethics by first considering ends and goods. He claims that “every action and decision, seems to seek some good” (Shafer-Landau 2013, 615). Aristotle states that we pursue certain things because of the benefits it brings itself and other consequences it may bring. Aristotle suggests that this is the same for goodness. We must pursue what is good for good itself and for any other benefits it may bring. Furthermore, Aristotle suggests that through pursuing the good, we are able to determine the best way of life (Shafer-Landau 2013, 615).
Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle attempts to define the meaning of ethics and to create the perfect society as did Plato in The Republic. In Aristotle’s attempt at definition he discusses the difference and significance of voluntary and involuntary action. Beginning by defining, Aristotle soon realizes many situations are too complex for just black vs. white terms and he introduces another term; non-voluntary. This leads to discussion of choice and deliberation, bringing his viewpoints into applicable terms, out of philosophy and into everyday life.
...it is necessary to examine human virtue. Something is considered to have reason in two senses: that which has reason in itself and that which listens to reason. These two senses are the origin of the distinction between intellectual and ethical virtues, respectively. The understanding of virtue and happiness is justified in the ideal that happiness is to be found in pleasure, others that it is to be found in honor, and others that it is to be found in contemplation. Happiness is not found in living for pleasure because such a life is slavish. Nor is it found in seeking honor because honor depends not on the person but on what others think of him. In order to be successful in an organization it is key to find a balance between two extremes that is an end within itself, that’s why Aristotle strongly believes that happiness is acquired through political organization.
Existentialism was introduced by a number of philosophers, including Jean Paul Sartre, the “central figure” of existentialism. (Burnham, Douglas) Sartre exclaimed that we are all free, meaning that we may experience the psychological strain of feeling “abandoned”. This forces us to take full responsibility for everything that happens. This unpleasant experience of “abandonment” originates from the realization that there is no God to guide us. It results in the belief that without a guide or role model, there are no values and no morality. Sartre said that everything is permitted because there is no higher power to stop us from doing whatever we want. (Cline,...
In Nichomean Ethics, Aristotle questions what exactly good is. Aristotle cites some typical examples such as being happy, wholesome and respected amongst your peers, he beleives that “mens conception of the good or of happiness can be read in the lives that they lead.” (Vaughn 84) Aristotles argument is continued by getting to the origin of every good activity. He remarked that if a man kept wondering which actions were good, he would find that every good activity lead to some end result of joy. Due to this a man can further his joy by drawing examples from his own life. For example, if a man is sick, he desires for good wellbeing, because it is what he accepts as true ...
A conduct can't be either great or insidiousness, however an individual can have great or awful character qualities. Aristotle said that all individuals are made out of a consolidation of bad habit (awful character qualities) and ideals (great character characteristics). He utilizes this idea to illustrate the postulation: Virtue is a demeanor concerned with decision.
Aristotle’s thoughts on ethics conclude that all humans must have a purpose in life in order to be happy. I believe that some of the basics of his ideas still hold true today. This essay points out some of those ideas.
Existentialism could be defined as a philosophical theory that focuses on the individual person being a free and responsible person who determines his or her own development through acts of will. Existentialism is a thesis that has been discussed by some of the greatest philosophical minds ever to live. Minds such as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche all had their own view on what existentialism was and major impact on the development of this thesis. Each of these philosophies played a huge influence on a great mind that would come later on in history. That was the mind of Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre, who is considered one of the great philosophical minds, based many of his ideas around the idea of existentialism and phenomenology. Throughout this paper we will take an extensive look into the life and mind of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Aristotle 's two theories are the stance between two different vices, which he refers to as the excess or deficiency. This virtue scale is Aristotle’s way to explain the definition and to gauge the importance of the virtue. Virtues of thought are virtues that arise from teaching an individual. For example, wisdom, comprehension, or intelligence are types of virtues of thought because this characteristic is gained through time. In contrast, virtues of character are gained by through habits. Some examples of virtues of character are generosity and temperance. These two categories distinguish what type of virtues a person
This paper attempts to discuss the main features of existentialist views as well as dissect Sartre's Theory into two parts, analysing its merits and consequent demerit.
Happiness can be viewed as wealth, honour, pleasure, or virtue. Aristotle believes that wealth is not happiness, because wealth is just an economic value, but can be used to gain some happiness; wealth is a means to further ends. The good life, according to Aristotle, is an end in itself. Similar to wealth, honour is not happiness because honour emphases on the individuals who honour in comparison to the honouree. Honour is external, but happiness is not. It has to do with how people perceive one another; the good life is intrinsic to the...
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sarte is known to have established existentialism in France after the liberation of Paris in 1944. Existentialism is the philosophy that states that the values people choose influences the choices they make and how they interpret the meanings of their decisions. When existentialism was introduced in the United States, it challenged Americans to access their ethical standards from a different perspective.