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Virtue/Character Ethics aristotle essay
Example of Nicomachean Ethics
Nicomachean ethics by aristotle essay
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The habits and actions of a person will instantly mirror his character, which sometimes it could be uncomfortable. Being like a transparent window through which anyone can see is not always what one might desire. Yet, Aristotle will claim that if one is unhappy with his character, he can change it into a better one, by deliberating well and making the right choice he would then be able to act in accordance with reason; and this will eventually help him reach a virtuous character. Although difficult to be put in practice, there is hope if the person really tries to correct his character. Throughout Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, specifically within his seventh book, he talks about the inner conflict that each person experiences when his desires and reason are battling one another. Aristotle makes the claim that depending on which party wins the battle, within each hostess, he is then able to recognize whether or not the actions taken upon the victory of either party, is a person that possess or doesn't possess self-control. However, not everyone experiences such battles, for the excellent characters are rarely heard of proclaiming such inner confrontations, since the excellent character is an impressive applicator of moderation to all given situations. And yet, although these three different characteristics express a great difference among each other, sometimes for an amateur eye some of them may look as if they are the same. The two characteristics that are often confused as the same thing are self-control and moderation. Aristotle's position regarding this common confusion between the two dispositions could be simply said that a self-controlled person is constantly hosting a battle among his reason and appetite, of which reason...
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...en it comes to her eating habits. Although at before she was feeling cravings for cigarettes and junk food, now she can't even smell the smoke or look at artificial food.
Flavia is a great example of a woman who transformed from a person who lacked self-control to a woman who now is possessing excellence in her eating habits. If even prior learning about her pregnancy, she was known that smoking and eating bad was not good for her she could not, not satisfy her appetite. Once he became pregnant, she progressed up the ladder to becoming a self-controlled person, letting her reason why over her appetite. Now as this eating style became as a second nature to her, Flavia is not a moderate person, because she doesn't feel pleasure for appetites that were once in disagreement with her reasoning, she now possesses appetites for healthy food and a smoke free environment.
Instead of the above letter, assume that at Pablo’s retirement dinner, the chairman of the board of directors of Xerxes Corps., in his speech, said “In view of the fact that you have been faithful to Xerxes Corp. for 30 years and have resisted efforts of our competitors to hire you away from us, the corporation promises to pay you a pension of $100,000 a year for life.” Pablo stood up and said, “I accept your pension promise with gratitude.” Is Xerxes Corps.’s promise enforceable by Pablo and if not, what would be necessary to make it enforceable? Explain.
Through books one to three in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle distinguishes between pain and happiness, clarifying the endless war that men face in the path of these two extremes. Man’s quest for pleasure is considered by the self-conscious and rational Aristotle; a viewpoint traditionally refuted in contemporary, secular environments.
Success in life is related to the achievement of individual goals, short and long term. Success has historically been related to the measurable cognitive functions such as IQ and talent. However in more modern time’s there has been a shift towards the idea that developmental non-cognitive factors, such as grit and self-control, may have an impact on the level of success that an individual achieves. Non-cognitive factors such as grit and self-control are somewhat related but also distinct from one another, they may have an important connection to levels of success throughout the stages of life from childhood to adulthood.
She is not so eager to please others as she used to. She has moved onto wanting to please herself more. She is more concerned with boys, what her interests are and exhibiting defiance by continuing some inappropriate behavior.
“The Greek maxim ‘Nothing in excess’” (Hollister 131) illustrates the need for self-control. Every tragic hero ended up committing an act of hubris based on his own fatal flaw. Many of those fatal flaws could have served the man and his country if tempered with self-control. “In the field of ethics, [Aristotle] advocated moderation in all behavior, arguing that emotions and actions (anger and love, eating and drinking) are themselves neither good nor evil and should be neither suppressed nor carried to excess: virtue is the avoidance of extremes, the ‘golden mean’” (Hollister 130).
The Nicomachean Ethics, written by Aristotle, represents his most important contribution within the field of Ethics; it is a collection of ten books, covering a variety of interesting topics, throughout the collection. 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. Without pretending to exhaust with too many references, it would be rather useful to focus on the most criticized part of the philosopher’s attempt, which is also the very starting point of his masterpiece, identified as eudaimonia (happiness, well being) and ergon (function), in Aristotelian terms.
Many times people believe that they can change as they get older but Aristotle in The Nicomachean Ethics claims this is not true. Aristotle believes that there are six types of character and everyone is in one of those characters and no matter what they do they will always be in that type of character. Aristotle also tells how truth is determined in matters of practical choice.
He uses fear, rashness, and courage to define what makes a man brave or a coward. It is each of these in varying degrees that create the description of a man’s actions. One with too much courage and rashness becomes foolhardy and takes unnecessary risks. One that might have too much fear and not enough rashness becomes the coward. For Aristotle, finding the mean of these values is what give the best measure of the man. If he has this balance then he is working toward the improvement of a situation without regard to himself. This might also be explained as; if a man has just the right amount of courage, rashness, bravery and fear, he will do what it takes to make things better for his fellow men. But, he does not make any actions that serve to create a better impression of himself to his peers. He does the things to “save the damsel in distress” but isn’t doing it to get approval from other men...
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. David Ross, trans. J. L. Ackrill and J. O. Urmson, revisions. Oxford World’s Classics paperback, 1998.
A major component in Gottfredson and Hirschi 's theory is the relationship between parenting and self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 2001). As previously mentioned, Tim and Lionel receive very little parental oversight and guidance. According to low self-control theory, this absence in Tim and Lionel 's life can be seen as an essential factor in their participation in sexting. Due to the lack of parenting in childhood, the youth were unable to develop the necessary self-control to resist the easy temptations offered by crime. Accompanying the lack of parenting, Tim and Lionel 's association with equally perverse individuals at school only served to further exacerbate their impulses and guide them towards delinquency. As such, Tim and Lionel
Gakuran, Michael. "Aristotle’s Moral Philosophy | Gakuranman • Adventure First." Gakuranman Adventure First RSS. N.p., 21 May 2008. Web.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. Rpt. in Ethical Theories: A Book of Readings second edition. Ed. A. I. Melden. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1967. 106-109.
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.
Aristotle states in his writings that it is infact ethically justified to lie but only when it is the mean between the two extremes, meaning that every virtue has two opposites. The first being excess and the second deficiency. For example, in a situation that involves fear the person who falls under the excess category would be rash, the person under deficiency would be a coward, and the mean would be courageous. Aristotle stressed that it is important to be a person that is the mean between deficiency and excess. A person in the mean would be someone who is virtuous and someone who has the best character traits. The traits, good or bad, are created by one 's natural tendencies. Aristotle says, “Virtue lies in our power, and similarly so does vice; because where it is in our power to act, it is also in our power not to act...” He believes that everyone has the power of their own actions. The actions that they make will eventually become their natural tendencies whether they are good or bad. This means that in Aristotle 's eyes everyone has the opportunity to be a virtuous person if they make the right
possibility that she might be using this as a coping mechanism to forget her past