The State Of Ethics In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics we are given the Greek term Eudaimonia, its definition being a contented sate of being happy, healthy and prosperous. For Aristotle, Eudaimonia or happiness is our ultimate goal. Aristotle states that most people see happiness as something physical and this way of thinking is faulted because we do not have the appropriate image of a good life. He goes on to tell us that our view is faulted because most people are not virtuous. The reason for the deficiency in virtue found in society is that people are not thought virtue correctly from a young age. Aristotle believes that people can only reach their ultimate goal of happiness by living a virtuous life and making the right decisions. The quote given to us states

Practical wisdom is knowledge of how to secure the ends of human life and for a man who demonstrates this quality his mark should be to be able to tell what is good for himself and his ultimate goal of a good life. In this paper, I will be agreeing with Aristotle’s idea that virtue is a state of character concerned with ones choices and one’s ability to reason. According to Aristotle, there are two types of virtue. These are: intellectual and moral virtue. Intellectual virtue stems from growth and teaching. In order to be intellectually virtuous one must have a great amount of experience and have allocated a great amount of time in studying whatever task it is they are looking to be virtuous in. On the other hand, moral virtue is given birth through habit. It is not an object that we are just born with it. Moral virtue originates from constant repetition.

Some choices big and some small but no matter what the choice is, the choice affects each person one way or another. Aristotle states that “It is difficult sometimes to determine what should be chosen at what cost, and what should be endured in return for what gain, and yet more difficult to abide by our decisions; for as rule what is expected is painful, and what we are compelled to do is base, when praise and blame are bestowed on those who have been compelled or have not” (IIIoa29- IIIoa34) This text leads into Aristotle’s talk about Voluntary vs Involuntary actions. Aristotle begins to distinguish voluntary and involuntary and states that voluntary actions are those actions in which the person completing the action knows what he is doing and is fully aware of what the outcome may be. Aristotle states that actions performed because our tempers or our desires are still considered voluntary. Voluntary actions are the only actions that Aristotle considers virtuous. Involuntary actions are actions that are performed through ignorance or by the use of force. However, for an act performed out of ignorance for it to be involuntary it must bring about hardship and sorrow. In order for an act to be involuntary the person doing the act must “contribute nothing” (IIIob17) Aristotle gives us a good example of involuntary action that is common in society today and that is the actions performed of someone who is intoxicated. Although at the