Aristotle’s brakes down his theory in to six parts; virtue and excellence, teleology: the concept of purpose, the human purpose, the golden mean, and happiness. In Virtue and excellence, in being virtuous means, above all, that you managed your skills and your opportunities, meaning act with excellence. For Aristotle everything on earth has its own virtue; meaning its “performs” the way is supposed to by its nature. His viewpoint is not reserved for humans that everything that exists has purpose. Teleology is the concept of purpose: the essential for understanding Aristotle’s ideas on virtue comes from metaphysics. Teleological theory or viewpoint assumes that something has a purpose or that the end result of some actions is all-important. …show more content…
Aristotle built his teleology in four metaphysical theory causes: material cause the thing is made of; efficient cause the force that has brought it in to being; formal case the shape or idea of the thing; final cause the purpose of the thing. The illustration describing the cases is where the material cause: flour, water, and so on; efficient cause: me, the baker; formal cause: the idea of muffins; and the final case: to be eaten! For Aristotle, everything have a purpose even if some times it’s not easy to determine what the purpose of certain thing maybe. The purpose is given to by mature; if object realizes its potential hits purpose is fulfilled. If thing preforms purpose or function well its virtuous: sharp knife, a fast rabbit or a smart human are examples of potential purpose and each became what it was supposed to be and achieving their …show more content…
Aristotle believes he describes the “good for man”: where a human can excel, in what a human is meant to do, and where a human will find happiness. Aristotle compares the Golden mean to an artistic masterpiece; people recognize that you can’t add anything to it or take anything from it, because either excess or deficiency would destroy the masterpiece. Aristotle was aware of his loopholes and tells us that some acts are just wrong by themselves and cannot be done in the right amount. Similarly, some acts are right in themselves and cannot be done too often. One such thing is justice: you can’t be “too just,” because being just already means being as fair as you can be. What example dos Aristotle’s use to application his theory of virtue? In the example where three women on a bridge see a drawing child being swept along by water. One woman is rash and jumps in without looking; the other is too cautious and frets so much that the time for action is past. But the third one reacts “just right”: she has developed a courageous character, she choses an appropriate action and acts at the right time to save the child. One can have the right intention but is not acted on them at the right time or the right amount is not virtuous. The heart of the idea of virtue is an action or a feeling responding to a particular situation at the right time, in the right way, in the right amount, for the right reason, not too much and not to
The formula of humanity and universal laws help people decide how a certain act would affect the world and if it would be a moral thing to do. This allows for a more standardization of figuring out if something is moral or not. Aristotle’s view of virtue is like The Bible. The things that he finds are virtuous can be seen in different ways. For example, people use The Bible to say certain things like men shouldn’t marry other men or that capital punishment is bad, but other people can use the same text to argue that men should get married and that capital punishment is fine. Same can be said for Aristotle because he gives a list of virtues in chapter 7, but these virtues can be seen in different ways. An example of this could be friendliness which is a virtue. People can be too friendly or not friendly enough but it’s personal preference and changes for everyone. Furthermore, some virtues aren’t on the list, and as societies grow more virtuous characteristics arise as
Virtue ethics is a moral theory that was first developed by Aristotle. It suggests that humans are able to train their characters to acquire and exhibit particular virtues. As the individual has trained themselves to develop these virtues, in any given situation they are able to know the right thing to do. If everybody in society is able to do the same and develop these virtues, then a perfect community has been reached. In this essay, I shall argue that Aristotelian virtue ethics is an unsuccessful moral theory. Firstly, I shall analyse Aristotelian virtue ethics. I shall then consider various objections to Aristotle’s theory and evaluate his position by examining possible responses to these criticisms. I shall then conclude, showing why Aristotelian virtue ethics is an unpractical and thus an unsuccessful moral theory in reality.
Foremost, the word virtue itself means needing to do good and avoid evil in its two
He stated, “So virtue is a provisional disposition… virtue is a mean; but in respect of what is right and what is right and best, it is an extreme (Aristotle, 42).” Here Aristotle explains that moral virtue is determined by reason and that it avoids the states of too much, excess, or too little, deficiency. He believes that our soul is the principle of living because it is inside of us. Therefore, for Aristotle the soul was morally which is where we are given the right reason. He believes that, “there are two parts of the soul, one rational and one irrational (Aristotle, 145).” The rational part, which is how he believe we should do our actions upon, consists of possessing reason, part that can think and command, and intellectual virtues, which are virtues that come from time and experience. Courage is a moral virtue. When having courage, you either have too much fear, which makes you a coward, or you have too little fear, where you’d be considered rash or fool hardy. Generosity is also a moral virtue. When you are generous, you are either giving too much, which makes you profligate, or you are giving too little which would consider you as a stingy person. Moral virtues lead you to happiness because of their intermediate state that is by
Aristotle begins his ethical account by saying that “every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and every choice, is thought to aim for some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim” (line 1094a1). Though some things might produce higher good than others, Aristotle looks for the highest good, which he says we must “desire for its own sake” and our actions are not decided on some other goal beyond this good itself (line 1094a20-25).[1] This highest good is then realized to be happiness (line 1095a16-20).
Virtue theory is the best ethical theory because it emphasizes the morality of an individual in which their act is upon pure goodness and presents as a model to motivate others. Aristotle was a classical proponent of virtue theory who illustrates the development habitual acts out of moral goodness. Plato renders a brief list of cardinal virtues consisting of wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice. This ethical theory prominently contradicts and links to other theories that personifies the ideal being. However, virtue theorists differ from their own expression of these qualities yet it sets a tone that reflects on the desire to express kindness toward others.
...Aristotle’s conclusion relates human good, activity of soul and excellence. It is this expression of virtue through action that allows happiness to be obtained. Such dependence on virtue sets the scene for Aristotle to examine virtue more closely. He will elaborate on the two parts of reasoning well (virtue). The first part of reasoning well is having the right desires to aim oneself at the right good and not just the apparent good. The second part of reasoning well is knowing how to get to this proper desire. This will be further elaborated in book two where Aristotle will explore what it means to reason well and what is means to be virtuous.
Aristotle laid out his theories involving ethics in the Nicomachean Ethics, mapping out his thoughts about virtues and guiding readers through moral dilemmas. The reader can gather a multitude of different ideas and points of view surrounding virtues and moral duties from the Nicomachean Ethics. Some of these ideas include the definition of virtue according to Aristotle, the ways that one can obtain virtue, and the relationship between vices and virtue. Aristotle views virtue as a mean.
Aristotle tries to draw a general understanding of the human good, exploring the causes of human actions, trying to identify the most common ultimate purpose of human actions. Indeed, Aristotelian’s ethics, also investigates through the psychological and the spiritual realms of human beings.
Aristotle begins Section 7 by raising a question: what is good? He explains that good varies between different actions and arts, but they share that it is the sake for which things are done: the good of medicine is health, of strategy victory, in every action the end. Ends are goods achievable by action. There are many ends and they are not always pursued for their own sake. Aristotle is seeking the highest (most desirable) end.
Interest is sparked in this area that Aristotle writes of because there is a natural need for Ethics in human life. John K. Roth states, “Aristotle assumes that all things, human beings included, have a good, a purpose or end, which it is their nature to fulfill”. This helps one understand Aristotle’s way of thinking, and provides insight to the basis of his theories. A common theory explored by Aristotle is the Ethics of Virtues, and how to practice them. A theory included in Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics is the unity of all the virtues, and in order to be virtuous, one must exhibit all the virtues. One of these virtues being practical wisdom, or Phronesis.
Virtue, then deals with those feelings and actions in which it is wrong to go too far and wrong to fall too short but in which hitting the mean is praiseworthy and good….
It was Aristotle’s belief that everything, including humans, had a telos or goal in life. The end result or goal was said to be happiness or “eudaimonia”. He explained that eudaimonia was different for each person, and that each had a different idea of what it meant. Further, he said that people must do things in moderation, but at the same time do enough. The theory, of “the golden mean of moderation” was the basis to Aristotle's idea of the human telos and concluded that living a virtuous life must be the same for all people. Aristotle maintained that the natural human goal to be happy could only be achieved once each individual determined his/her goal. A person’s telos is would usually be what that individual alone can do best. Aristotle described the humans as "rational animals" whose telos was to reason. Accordingly, Aristotle thought that in order for humans to be happy, they would have to be able to reason, and to be governed by reason. If a person had difficulty behaving morally or with ethics, he was thought to be “imperfect”. Moral virtue, a principle of happiness, was the ability to evade extremes in behavior and further to find the mean between it and adequacy. Aristotle’s idea of an ideal state was one where the populous was able to practice eth...
Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics, describes the virtue as an action, when a person keeps him/herself in a stable balance of the soul, in order to select the action deliberately and for its own purpose. This stable harmony of the soul is what establishes the character. Aristotle claims that being virtuous person is an aim that a person can generally conclude by selecting virtue, behaving as it mention, and make it a habit and natural tendency, with free will. humans ‘by virtue of the action’ capability is coming from the birth. Being virtuous is a propensity that turns out again through proper processing of this capability.
It has more to do with character and the nature of what it is to be. human, than with the rights and wrongs of our actions. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do, virtue ethics asks how. you can be a better person. Aristotle says that those who do lead a virtuous life, are very happy and have a sense of well-being.