Philosophical Ethics: Aristotle's Virtue Ethics
The first topic in philosophical ethics I would like to discuss is Aristotle’s virtue ethics. As an objectionist, Aristotle tried to determine what a good person is. To Aristotle, happiness is what made you a good person, and that is what the chief goal in life is. He believed that happiness was achieved when a species determines its’ own telos, or purpose. Along with that, Aristotle determined three facts of humanity. The three facts are that humans are social, they are embodied, and they are rational. What he means when he says humans are embodied is that they have bodies, and when he says they are rational, he means that humans have reason. Aristotle believed that humanity’s ability to be rational is what sets us apart from all other species. …show more content…
Immanuel Kant, the creator of Kantianism, was an absolutist, meaning that he believed rules were not to be broken, no matter what. Also, the Kantian theory differs from utilitarianism and Aristotle’s virtue ethics because it does not believe happiness is the chief good. In Kantianism, the chief good is good will, which can be defined as a human will that a person commits out of respect for moral law. An action has moral worth when it is done out of good will. Kant believed that the actions that are done out of good will are not only moral, but are also our duty (Kant, …show more content…
This class was important because it taught us to be impartial and smart about the way we judged the actions of ourselves and others. Through learning different ethical theories, we learned that people have may different ways of formulating their opinions. In learning that, I now know that I should be more understanding to peoples’ different points of view, even if I disagree with them. There were plenty of arguments that occurred in this class during our discussions, and they were very different from the ones we see in the everyday world. In this class, every different argument that was brought up was given a reaction that was respectful and understanding, where is in the everyday world, arguments are met with fierce opposition and
Aristotle's Nicomachean Argument Analysis
313 Words | 2 PagesTo do this I must first explain several concepts of Aristotle which are: (1) how he concludes that the human function is reason, (2) what he means by happiness and how it is the human good, and (3) why he believes that the activity of the soul must be virtuous to become
The Role Of Friendship In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
46 Words | 1 PagesIn Book eight and nine of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle addresses the topic of friendship. Aristotle’s argument is that friends should be regarded as second selves. Aristotle believes that as virtuous behavior improves an individual, friendship has the potential to make improvements in each other’s lives.
The Role Of Virtue In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
731 Words | 3 PagesAristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book ll, is about his idea of how people should live a virtuous life. Throughout this book, he explains that humans learn virtue from instructions and we learn virtue from practice too. Virtue is something that is very important because it is a moral habit that results in keeping our moral values. Aristotle believed that nobody is born with virtue, everyone has to work at it daily. After reading Nicomachean ethics, Book ll, my main conclusion of it is that us as humans are better off being virtuous than simply doing what we feel like doing at any moment in time.
Socrates And Meno: The Definition Of Virtue
771 Words | 4 PagesVirtue is defined in many ways. Some say that it comes from the Latin word ‘virtus’, meaning virtue or courage, which comes from the other Latin word ‘vir’, which means man, meaning that virtue is the qualities of a man, such as courage. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines virtue as, “conformity to a standard of right [and/or] a particular moral excellence” (Merriam-Webster 899). With all these definitions floating around, it is hard to determine what virtues really is and what it really means to have virtue. In Plato’s Meno, Socrates and Meno discuss the definition of virtue and whether it can be taught.
Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics
1819 Words | 8 Pages“Every skill and every inquiry, and similarly every action and rational choice, is thought to aim at some good; and so the good has been aptly described as that which everything aims. But it is clear that there is some difference between ends: some ends are activities, while others are products which are additional to the activities. In cases where there are ends additional to the actions, the products are by their nature better than activities.” (Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, as translated by Crisp, 2000, p. #3) Aristotle was the first philosopher who wrote a book on ethics titled, Nichomachean Ethics.
Analysis Of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
1025 Words | 5 PagesAristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics begins by exploring ‘the good’. Book I argues that, unlike other goods, “happiness appears to be something complete and self-sufficient, and is, therefore, the end of actions” (10:1097b20-21). In other words, happiness is the ultimate good. But how does one achieve happiness? Aristotle formulates this in the context of work, since for all things, from artists to horses, “the good and the doing it well seem to be in the work” (10:1097b27-28).
Evaluating Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
1495 Words | 6 PagesIn Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he outlines the different scenarios in which one is responsible for her actions. There is, however, a possible objection which raises the possibility that nobody is responsible for their actions. Are we responsible for some of our actions after all? If so, under what circumstances?
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Argument
1210 Words | 5 PagesTo reach this conclusion, I will be splitting this passage into 3 parts. The first section is Aristotle’s introduction to
Voluntary And Ignorance In Aristotle's Nicomanchean Ethics
1287 Words | 6 PagesIn his book Nicomanchean Ethics Aristotle explains and differentiates voluntary and involuntary actions and expatiate on all the factor that contribute in deciding on the nature of our actions. The purpose of this differentiation is essential for the study of virtue ethics and more importantly for the study of jurisprudence “to the assigning of both of honors and of punishments” onto individuals. Aristotle firstly describes factors that causes actions to be involuntary or voluntary, such as ignorance, compulsion and choice. The understanding of such factors and their relation to our actions are also important to understand the principles explained by Aristotle. Voluntary actions is defined by Aristotle as actions that have their principle
The Pros And Cons Of Deontological Ethics
1536 Words | 7 PagesKant’s moral philosophy stands on the notion of good will, an intrinsic good which is perceived to be so without qualification, independent of any external factors. Thus, he dismisses other values that could be taken as good in themselves, such as happiness, honesty, courage, trust etc. as they have worth only under specific conditions, whereas in others they could be transposed into bad acts. For example, trust is necessary for one to be able to manipulate others, one must have courage to be able to
Non Relative Approach To Virtue Ethics
1889 Words | 8 PagesAristotle’s virtue ethics differs from other moral theories. Unlike deontology and consequentialism, virtue ethics emphasizes and describes moral characters (virtues). In my paper, I am going to explore the objection to virtue ethics from a relativist point of view and the responses to this objection that were presented in Nussbaum’s paper “A non-relative approach to virtue ethics.” Furthermore, I am going to present two out of three relativist objections to her responses that she anticipated, and her responses to them.
Happiness In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
1087 Words | 5 PagesIn Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the concept of happiness is introduced as the ultimate good one can achieve in life as well as the ultimate goal of human existence. As Aristotle goes on to further define happiness, one can see that his concept is much different from the 21st-century view. Aristotelian happiness can be achieved through choosing to live the contemplative life, which would naturally encompass moralistic virtue. This differs significantly from the modern view of happiness, which is heavily reliant on material goods. To a person in the 21st-century, happiness is simply an emotional byproduct one experiences as a result of acquiring material goods.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
4112 Words | 17 PagesOur happiness is dependant on the choices we make. Aristotle then explains how our choices are determined by our character or ethos. However, this does not mean that the ethics help determine right from wrong, but more shows us how to live a virtuous and happy life. This happiness for Aristotle expands far beyond just the personal sphere, but extends into the group or
Kant's Ethics Vs. Utilitarian Ethics
1023 Words | 5 PagesHyejin Jang Professor Writing DED 8 April 2016. 4. 7. Kant’s ethics differs from utilitarian ethics both in its scope and in the precision with which it guides action. In The Categorical Imperative, Kant emphasizes that human autonomy is the essence of morality.
Aristotle's Philosophy Of Ethics And Business Ethics
954 Words | 4 PagesAristotle advanced the philosophy of ethics, where he demonstrated that it is a means of achieving an end to happiness. However, happiness means many things to different people. To Aristotle, the most adequate way to pursue happiness is through the virtue of excellence. In his writings, Aristotle connected his therory of virtue to economics, and leadership as well. It is a matter of connecting ones personal ethics to that of ones business ethics.
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