Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discusses the best kind of life to lead, what a person’s goals should be, essentially how to reach eudaimonia. In the beginning of book 1 Aristotle acknowledges you cannot isolate a single feature, for each case is going to have to deal with particulars. His primary object of study is character, for he viewed philosophy of ethics with agent-centered approach. Aristotle believes “we must examine the right way to act, since…actions also control the character of the states we acquire.” (1103b30-32). However, for there are requirements needed for an action to be considered properly virtuous, compared to an action merely “in the right state”. It is the puzzle raised by Aristotle himself leading to the addition of

Aristotle challenges his own view asking, “If we do what is grammatical or musical, we must already be grammarians or musicians. In the same way, then, if we do what is just or temperate, we must already be just or temperate.” Therefore, how is it possible to become just by doing just actions, and temperate by doing temperate actions? (1105a17-21). The answer is “what is true of crafts is not true of virtues” (1105a23) and because “actions… control the character of the states we acquire” (1103b31). In respect to crafts, the process does not matter, for result of the product determines whether it was produced well. As well, it is possible to create something by following directions, or accidentally. For example, it is possible for a person to create a delicious cake without being a baker. Creating a delicious cake does not qualify that person to be called a baker because they may have simply followed the directions on the cake mix box. Alternatively, they may still be learning how to bake cakes (in the process of habituation) or they simply just made a cake once and do not intend on doing it again. Regardless, they followed the right actions, so the actions are in the same state; however, the agent is not. Analogous to the just actions, a person can commit just actions unintentionally, rarely, or with an ulterior reason. Although the person may be doing the actions

Only if the three components: being aware of the virtuous action, deciding on the action for itself, and performing the action consistently (1105a29-33) are met can one’s actions said to be done justly. Using the example of a religious follower of Sikhism and using seva as the action, it is demonstrated when the action is merely performed “in the right state” as opposed to being performed in a virtuous manner. Another example is of a mentor as a “Big Brother” or a “Big Sister”, using volunteering as the action, differentiating when their actions would be considered properly virtuous and when they are merely “in the right state”. The aforementioned examples show virtuous actions do not always have the right intention behind them. If the agent is not “in the right state”, they will not meet the three requirements and their actions will not be properly virtuous. It does not suffice for a person to commit virtuous actions; they must do so with a virtuous