Aristotle

An ethical issue that is debated in our society is the concern of driving while intoxicated. Although this was naturally not the case during Aristotle’s time, many of his ethical beliefs can be applied to refute this dilemma. I will prove the standing issue to be unethical through Aristotle’s discussion of virtue and his concept of voluntary/involuntary actions in the Nicomachean Ethics.

Aristotle believed that of the virtues learned in our youth, each has a respective excess and deficiency. The virtue is the mean (or midpoint) of the excess and deficiency. The mean can be thought of as “just right';, and the extremities can be labeled as “vices';. The mean should not be thought of as the geometric middle of the two vices- it varies between the vices, depending on the person. Aristotle believed that the mean and the vices are within our control and of the two extremes (vices) we should choose the less erroneous. It is not always easy to choose the less erroneous of the two. For example, Bill decides he wants to drink this Friday night, but he has to drive himself home. His choice of how much to drink lies between two vices: sobriety and drunkenness. Although neither may be his intention for the evening, it is obvious that the less erroneous of the two is sobriety. “So much, then, makes it plain that the intermediate state is in all things to be praised, but that we must incline sometimes towards the excess, sometimes towards the deficiency; for so shall we most easily hit the mean and what is right'; (Aristotle 387).

Aristotle defines virtue (also known as excellence) of humankind as living in accordance with reason in the best kind of way. Simply put, doing what is characteristic of a thing to do. He argues that our reasoning, which is the foundation for our virtues, derives from habit and not from nature.

Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do excellences arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit. Again, of all the things that come to us by nature we first acquire the potentiality and later exhibit the activity…(Aristotle 376)

Hence, all of the virtues that we believe are what we practice. The point in mind is that all of our morals are instilled in us through the process of learning. What we see others (whether adults, teachers, e...

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...unk was the cause of his ignorance. (Aristotle 396)

If a man is knowing of what he does when he is sober, the very state of drunkenness makes him unjust (in respect to virtue) since he is ignorant in this state and he has voluntarily brought himself to drink. Thus, if a man knowingly acts in a way that will result in his becoming unjust, he must be said to be voluntarily unjust (Aristotle 396).

Alcohol abuse is not debated in our society-we know it is wrong, yet this does not seem to stop our actions. Aristotle’s view of alcohol abuse in the fourth century BC is the same as the outlook of the modern world but today’s technological advancements have drastically increased the dangers of abuse. Driving while intoxicated is a deep concern that is not taken lightly. I have discussed why his ethical system proves that this is wrong, even though we know it is wrong. The point in mind is that the problem will never cease to exist, we can only derive solutions and/or repercussions to deal with it.

Bibliography

Aristotle, A New Aristotle Reader. Trans. J.L. Ackrill. Princeton: Princeton University

Press, 1989.