Gonzalez, Jessika Dr. Jeffries Essay #1 09/28/12 What is happiness? There are many different definitions of happiness and happiness is determined by each individual. “The Aim of Man” by Aristotle and “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson both discuss the meaning of happiness means to them. By discussing their attitudes towards material and spiritual happiness as well as their attitudes toward political freedom and the need for possessions, Jefferson and Aristotle, wrote what they feel about happiness. Aristotle defines happiness as the final good which means, to live a good life, by doing good deeds and happiness depends upon us.
How far is virtue ethics a satisfactory guide to moral behaviour? Virtue ethics is person rather than action based as it looks at the virtue or moral character of the person carrying out an action, rather than at ethical duties and rules, or the consequences of particular actions, unlike Utilitarianism or Situation ethics, which always look at the consequence of the action. Virtue Ethics was a theory first developed by Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), Eudaimonia, or 'happiness', is the supreme goal of human life. Aristotle believed that everything has a purpose, Eudaimonia is the purpose for humans. Aristotle draws a distinction between superior and subordinate aims, believing Eudaimonia' is the end goal or purpose behind everything we do as people, and is desired for its own sake and therefore a superior aim.
The following passage from Eudemian Ethics (1235b 13-18) allows us to better comprehend Aristotle’s impression of philosophy, which in turn leads to a better understanding of how he reviews and resolves the aforementioned problem: We must adopt a line of argument which will both best explain to us the views held about these matters and will resolve the difficulties and contradictions; and we shall achieve this if we show that the conflicting views are held with good reason. For such an argument will most closely accord with the agreed facts; and it will allow the conflicting views to be retained if analysis can show that each is partly true and partly false. Ultimately, Aristotle tries to “preserve obvious truths of common sense” while attempting to justify what we see in philosophers paradoxes. To discredit them, he separates the discreditable conclusions from the authentic notions they were built upon, thus disarming the effectiveness of the arguments. The first and most obvious place to look for Aristotle’s view on relativism is Metaphysics I’.
“Outline Aristotle’s theory of Virtue Ethics” Virtue Ethics originates from the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle who focused not on deontological values of actions being intrinsically right or wrong based on their intention, but on how to develop one’s character to meet the demands of what one would describe as virtuous. Central to the theory is the idea of practising qualities and virtues that are established as ‘good’. Virtue ethics is agent-centred as opposed to act-centred and Aristotle maintains that our final aim, as human beings, is to achieve ultimate happiness, which he calls eudaimonia and describes as human flourishing. The Greek word for virtue, arête, means excellence, and so a virtuous character is one with excellent qualities who continually and undeniably continue to make perfect moral decisions. A virtue is defined as a perfect quality that is habitually carried out by an individual which requires practise and dedication so that one may blossom into a virtuous character, “excellence is not an act but a habit.” For Aristotle, something is ‘good’ if it fulfils its purpose: a good knife is one this is sharps and cuts well.
It contains virtue, freedom, philosophy, happiness, beauty and courage. The form of the good is the highest of the Forms, the source of the other Forms and allows us to know the other Forms. Plato believed that everything exists in a hierarchy and the Form higher than all others is the Form of the good. It is the highest form because it gives us a full picture. Forms are about knowledge and the Form of the good is the most important thing to know.
Mill explains that utility can be understood in terms of pleasure and the absence of pain and not just by the usefulness of something (Module 7.1). Utilitarianism at its root is maximizing happiness for as many people as possible. “The Greatest Happiness Principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Mill 14). Meaning Mill’s ethical theory of utility evaluates the moral worth of an action on whether it increases or decreases happiness (Module 7.1). Mill roots the Greatest Happiness Principle in his theory of life.
Consequential is a type of ethical theory; it’s built upon moral views of acts, rules, etc. purely due to the consideration of their consequences, where the norm of consideration is worked as the norm of non-moral goodness. Happiness is a part of acquiring what could be an unsatisfying truth that we do not have a solid handle of our control or impact in our world; giving into the greatest good, as well as, ignoring what can bring negativity. It is important to make the best out of life as possible that represent positive and negative, and take the rest as life wants to give it. The theory of “good” and bad is really not a matter of concern; we have our own particular views, so what can be bad may actually be good.
The concept of virtue ethics by the philosopher Aristotle looks at how we should not look at the right and wrong actions we do by following guidelines, but look at us as human beings becoming virtuous people, through doing virtuous things. The statement of the weaknesses of virtue ethics outweighing the strengths is to an extent true, in particular when you look at the limitations of virtue ethics when claiming the doctrine of mean. Firstly by looking at the aim if virtue ethics we can gain an insight to the whole concept, Aristotle claimed that in life our aim is to reach fulfilment of happiness, which he called eudemonia. To achieve eudemonia you have to practice virtues and achieve these virtues, through education, emulation and experience. So we learn the virtue by copying someone who is a role model or mentor to confirm our virtue is right and finally practice and experience said virtue.
These are the life of Pleasure, the Political life, and Contemplative life. With substantial theoretical thought the answer to what the best state of life, is that contemplative life is the most perfect life, and happiness can be found within this life. So what is this “Contemplative state”? I have come to the terms through Aristotles explanation that it is the exercise of the intellectual virtue of Sophia (understanding). But what is puzzling to me is to understand what it is that the contemplative actually does in the course of contemplating.
6). Aristotle also conveys that he believes the virtuous person is more honorable because “he is able to avoid bodily pleasures, but not all pleasures, since there are pleasures of the temperate [virtuous] person too” (NE, VII, ch.12, sec. 7). While the continent person does eventually chose the right action it is more of a deliberation from him to come to a choice because he is aware of the wrong decision as well. The virtuous person does not at all go through this deliberation process because he is not aware of the wrong decision.