...Throughout his life, Aristotle paid particularly close attention to the notion of happiness. In Aristotle’s opinion, happiness is achieved by obtaining the highest good by living a good life. However, living a good life in accordance with Aristotle’s views can be difficult. He believes that in order to live a good life, one must constantly seek to fulfill the bodily needs. To do so, one must live with moral and intellectual virtues at all times. Aristotle believed that living with moral and intellectual virtues is accomplished by developing a keen sense of rationality. He says that rational judgment is the result of living within the appropriate mean of two extremes. There are several examples he gives to illustrate this conception. One example he provides is the appropriate mean between acting bravely and acting cowardly. He proceeds to explain that if he was to act overly brave then when he was in battle he would act overzealously and cause himself harm. However, if he was to act without enough aggression then he would appear cowardly. Aristotle explains that it is reasonable to be confused with this explanation. He further explains that it is not finding the exact mean between two extremes that one must endeavor, but to assess each situation individually. He says that with each situation that arises, one must analyze it and determine to what degree of one extreme or another one must respond with. Each person, he believes, will react differently and no situation will be exactly...
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...ID - 22780878 Essay #3 – Aristotle’s Function Argument In this essay, I will be discussing Aristotle’s function argument. This argument is found in Nicomachean ethics, in which Aristotle claims that the best human good is “the soul’s rational activity expressing virtue” (1098a16-17). To better understand this claim, we must first discuss the function argument in its entirety. Aristotle prefaces this argument by presuming that the best good is happiness. What we need, however, is a clearer definition of what the best good is (1097b22-24). Beginning with the first premise of his argument, Aristotle states that we will be able to define what the best good is if we first discover what the function of a human being is. This is because the good (i.e. doing well in anything that has a function and characteristic action) depends on the function itself (1097b26-29). If this is true, then we can apply this concept to human beings, if human beings do indeed have a function. Furthermore, Aristotle questions if human beings have a function at all, aside from the functions projected onto them by whatever occupation they serve in society (i.e. farmer, blacksmith). In his argument’s second premise, Aristotle states that if every bodily part in a human being has a function, we can similarly attribute a function to the human being as a whole. This premise acts upon Aristotle’s argument prior to the function argument in Nicomachean ethics, which states that numerous goods can serve higher...
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...-1The Ford Pinto case is an oft-cited example of business ethics gone wrong. Many people have been appalled by Ford’s lack of concern for human life. Ford rushed its production time to produce the Pinto in order to be able to compete with foreign companies that were monopolising the American small-car market in the 1960s. Before production, however, the Ford engineers discovered that there was a major flaw with the Pinto: in nearly all rear-end crash tests the car’s gas tank would burst into flames. The problem was reported, however, the sped-up production on the car meant that the machinery was already tooled when the defect was found and would add an extra $11 per car to correct the flaw. Ford officials calculated that the benefits derived from spending an extra $11 per car would amount to $49.5 million, whereas the costs would be $137 million (Satchi 3).1 Ford decided it would be more profitable to produce the Pinto with the defect rather than correct the flaw. When the case was brought to trial in 1978, the court awarded an unprecedented $137 million in damages, more than the normal amount for a negligence case (Satchi 3). The decision to award such an extravagant sum came from a desire on behalf of the court to punish Ford for its actions and to deter other companies from ignoring safety in favour of the bottom line. The decision to award the enormous damages is not without controversy, however. The damages awarded were for personal injuries, a tort case. Tort law is justified...
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...Explain Aristotle’s human function argument. Does it provide a good basis for understanding eudaimonia? The link between the human function argument and eudaimonia has been harshly criticised due to it being based upon three questionable claims: that human beings have a function, that the good for a human being resides on the fulfilment of that function and that being a good human being leads to eudaimonia. I will nevertheless show that once the concepts of eudaimonia, virtue and human function are correctly understood, it is possible to answer many of the objections that criticise the human function argument as a good basis for the understanding of eudaimonia. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s purpose is to discover the human good, that at which we ought to aim. Aristotle tells us that everyone calls this good eudaimonia (happiness, flourishing, success, wellbeing), but that people disagree about what it consists in. Aristotle insist that the point of engaging in ethics is to become good and by searching for ‘’the good’’ he means searching for the highest good; that which is desirable for itself rather than for the sake of some other good and that for whose sake all other goods are desirable. Aristotle then goes on to argue that ‘’eudaimonia’’ (well-being) is the highest end, since all other subordinate goals are sought after only because they promote this well-being or happiness. But unless we can determine which good or goods happiness consist in, it is of no use to understand...
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...Name Course Professor Date Aristotle’s concept of the right Introduction Moral reasoning is philosophical aspect that includes the determination of the difference between wrong and right. This is done on the basis of logic. Moral reasoning plays a vital role in the daily today lives of human beings as people are always in constant decision making processes of what is right and what is wrong. There are dilemmas that people face daily with whether they are to say the truth or to lie on certain situations. The consequences of actions are usually weighed against the morality. Moral behavior has four major components. This includes the moral sensitivity that includes the ability of humans to discern ethical dilemmas. Secondly, moral behavior deals with the ability to have a correct reasoning on what is supposed to be done in various circumstances. Moral action commitment and taking the responsibility of actions is yet an aspect of moral behavior. Lastly, moral character forms the fourth aspect. Several philosophers have exploited aspects of moral reasoning. Among them is Aristotle who greatly exploited the concept of the right. Aristotle’s concept of the right One may wonder what ‘right’ means or what is meant by actions being right. According to Aristotle, an action is considered to be right if the action is done in a way that it corresponds to virtues that are moral. He further emphasizes the fact that there is need for the agent who does an action to be in the right mind...
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...I. THE THEORY OF THE IDEAS AND PLATO’S ONTOLOGY I. 1. The ontological dualism The theory of the Ideas is the base of Plato’s philosophy: the Ideas are not only the real objects ontologically speaking, but they are the authentically objects of knowledge epistemologically speaking. From the point of view of ethics and politics, they are the foundation of the right behaviour, and anthropologically speaking they are the base of Plato’s dualism and they even allow him demonstrate the immortality of the soul. Plato defends a clear ontological dualism in which there are two types of realities or worlds: the sensible world and the intelligible world or, as he calls it, the world of the Ideas. The Sensible World is the world of individual realities, and so is multiple and constantly changing, is the world of generation and destruction; is the realm of the sensible, material, temporal and space things. On the contrary, the Intelligible World is the world of the universal, eternal and invisible realities called Ideas (or "Forms"), which are immutable and do not change because they are not material, temporal or space. Ideas can be understood and known; they are the authentic reality. The Ideas or Forms are not just concepts or psychic events of our minds; they do exist as objective and independent beings out of our consciences. They are also the origin of sensible things, but although they are the authentic beings, Plato, unlike Parmenides of Elea, do not completely...
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...It may seen odd but writers from Paper Masters have researched and found that Aristotle takes much of his notion on friendship from politics. Research papers on Aristotle's view of friendship looks at the philosophy of Aristotle and explicates how this philosophy boils down to politics and virtue in a man. Aristotle's treatment of friendship, including his definitions of friendship, is found within his work on ethics, the "Nicomachean Ethics." Friendship is included within his discussion of his general ethical theory. Aristotle bases his ethical theory on two constructs: Politics Virtue In most of the "Nicomachean Ethics," Aristotle discusses these two major subjects as separate subjects; or when they are discussed in relation to each other, they are discussed mostly with respect to what proportion of each is found in political activities or the conditions or state of a person's life. For instance, the more political an action is, the less virtuous it may be. And the more virtuous is an individual, the less he may be involved in the practical ends of politics. As mentioned earlier, friendship is a blending of politics and virtue; it can be looked at as an ideal blending. The Philosophy of Friendship According to Aristotle Friendship is included as a subject in term papers about Aristotle as a part of his general ethical theory because friendship has to do with the good which is the fundamental of the general ethical theory. As Aristotle begins the "Nicomachean Ethics...
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...“eudaimonia” or happiness. He believed that what makes human beings distinct from other living things is our capacity for rational behaviour, gaining knowledge and acting on reasons. He believed to live a good life is to live a life of practical knowledge and that this is similar to living a life of virtue. Aristotle concluded that a virtue is a learned disposition to reason and act in a certain way. Virtues are habits of mind that move us towards a good life. Virtue ethics, its most famous form from Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, focus on what sort of people we should strive to be and not just that things we should do on individual occasions. Moral dilemmas are usually situations in which there are two choices to make, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. Hence in business, virtue ethics requires leaders to act in a way that they will increase their contributions to the good life. All business leaders will inevitably face moral dilemmas. In navigating through these dilemmas, virtue ethics and reason tell the business leaders to follow the character traits that upon, contemplation and reflection, they view as consistent with virtue. An art director, with a team of designers and illustrators, overseeing the promotion efforts of their new toy is “strongly” persuaded by his boss to “borrow” copyrighted design material and schematics from another overseas toy firm. His boss adds that even the board of directors have approved of...
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...Aristotle’s Interpretation of Happiness People go through their lives looking for happiness. Is it found in something we do? Is it found in what we have or the people we are involved with? What is happiness? Happiness is simply the state of being happy, but is it really that simple? Aristotle talks a lot about happiness or eudaimonia (a person’s well being) a lot in his work. Aristotle believes there is a “two- tiered” conception of eudaimonia” (Page 1) that is split between the masses or what we would call the common people and the cultured people also known as the educated or upper class. In this paper you will learn what Aristotle believed happiness was and how he thought that we could achieve it. Aristotle believed that happiness was a supreme good or the “highest of all ends” (Hutto 384) and also that the end of political science aimed to it. Aristotle believed that political science “determined what sciences are necessary in the states” (Aristotle 10) and that “the good of an individual is identical with the good of a state” (Aristotle 11). So if “moral purpose aspires to some good, what is in our view the good at which the political science aims, and what is the highest of all practical goods?” (Aristotle 13). The answer to this question was found to be happiness. At this point there was an agreement between two groups of people. These groups of people were known as the masses (common working people) and the cultured (educated upper class). Both groups agreed that...
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...ARISTOTLE'S POLIS: NATURE, HAPPINESS, AND FREEDOh1 Ideologists of all stripes seem to have difficulty dealing with t h e foundations of what is loosely called the ""Western tradition," t h a t is, the body of knowledge that has come down to us from Athens a n d Jerusalem. Of course, these days Jerusalem is simply ignored. T h e classical tradition, however, must be dealt with. Yet it is frequently so transfigured that what emerges is what the ideologist wishes u s t o see, rather than what is these. The most ambitious attempt at this sort of thing by a 'Yiberal" ideologist is Eric A. Havelock's T h e Liberal Temper in Greek Politics.' More recently and on a smaller scale, Fred Miller has, in the pages of this journal, interpreted one aspect of the classical tradition from the standpoint of "~ibertarianY' political theory, in his essay "The State and the Community in Aristotle's Polieics. "' This curious attempt to defend the "libertarianism9' of Lykophron and Mippodamus3 against Aristotle's '6ppaternalism9'is a daring, if ill-conceived, enterprise. In Miller's presentation, Aristotle seems t o emerge as a villain who misunderstand the enlightened political thought of the Greek "libertarians" and, we are to infer, derails subsequent political thought in the name of "'paternalism." Fundamental to Miller's reading of the Politics is the idea t h a t there is a distinction between ""cmmunity" and "'state" that Aristotle confuses in his use of golis. He argues that...
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...a life of happiness is virtue. Virtue is a state of the soul that disposes and prompts our actions and is meant to guide our behaviors in society and enable us to practice moderation. Aristotle believes that human happiness, which is not to be equated with the simple-minded pursuit of pleasure, stems from fulfilling human potentialities. These potentialities can be identified by rational choice, practical judgment, and recognition of the value of choosing the mean instead of extremes. The central moral problem is the human tendency to want to acquire more and to act unjustly whenever one has the power to do so. According to Aristotle happiness is the highest good and the goo life comes from the realization and perfect practice of virtue. In order to lead a life of goodness there must be a foundation of adequate health (goods of the body), adequate wealth (external goods, property), and goods of the soul (virtue, wisdom). People think that a moderate amount of virtue is enough, but set no limit to their desires of “wealth and property, power, reputation, and all such things... ” - i.e. of external goods. (1323 a35-40) Happiness is more often found in those who are cultivated in their mind and in their character, and have only a moderate share of “external goods,” than among those who possess extensive “external goods” but are lacking in higher qualities. The good life you lead or experience is an inner sense of well being. This is the active life of virtue and this is all for the...
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...Virtue Ethics and Consequentialism in Early Chinese Philosophy is a book by Bryan W. Van Norden that presents an encompassing view of Confucianism in light of virtue ethics and of Mohism in light of consequentialism. Throughout the book, Van Norden makes excellent and understandable bridges to compare the philosophies of the East and the West. He takes the perspectives presented by Aristotle’s virtue ethics and other western philosophers and contrasts them with the conceptions that Confucianism offers towards leading a virtuous life and the process of the ethical cultivation of one's self, as well as drawing analogues between Mohism and consequentialism through obviously thorough archaeological and philosophical research into Chinese history....
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...From seeking enjoyment to avoiding grief, most people's goal in life is about achieving happiness. However, how to define and obtain happiness in one's life and also living it virtuous can be challenging. When we consider the questions of how we should live our lives, we often seek for some method or schematic that we can apply to help us classify our actions and qualities as good, bad, or indifferent. Such a means of methodology would surely make it easier to determine what the right thing to do is. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle formulates a concept in which we can integrate into our lives to measure and characterize our actions and choices. This concept is called the Doctrine of the Mean and according to Aristotle if we utilize his...
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...All in all, Aristotle’s philosophy made an astounding influence. In fact, it is in Aristotle’s Philosophy that Alexander the Great, which the former tutored in 347 BCE, laid down the foundations of the latter’s empire. Throughout Alexander’s rule, the influence of Aristotle, his mentor, can be seen in the former’s skillful and diplomatic handling of difficult problems throughout his career. When Alexander became a king, he had set forth on a Persian expedition to expand his empire. Perhaps, it is the experience of the encounter between people’s that played a huge role in the development of the idea of cosmopolitanism, the idea that a man is a citizen of the world. “Aristotle's writings, like Plato's, have influenced virtually every avenue...
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...BUSINESS ETHICS AND VIRTUE A review on On Robert C. Solomon’s many ways of being ethical SUBMITTED BY: NAME: STEVE AGONO OBADO COURSE: MsIT BUSINESS ETHICS AND VIRTUE A review on On Robert C. Solomon’s many ways of being ethical SUBMITTED BY: NAME: STEVE AGONO OBADO COURSE: MsIT BUSINESS AND VIRTUE INTRODUCTION The author of this thesis seeks to examine unexplored solutions that could add value to the already existent ethical disclosure and because there is a lack of consensus regarding ethical issues in the workplace. He therefore specifically chose to study the virtue framework articulated by Philosopher Robert C. Solomon, precisely in the business context. He deals with the philosophical problem in a twofold approach. 1. One refers to virtue ethics and 2. Application in the specific branch of business ethics. His thesis will attempt to show the richness and value of such an approach to solve ethical dilemmas in business and in life. MAIN THRUST OF THE ARGUMENT The aim of the thesis is to show how an application of virtue reflects one of many ‘ethical styles’ (Solomon 1999). He goes through various interpretations of virtue ethics. 1. TAYLOR’S INTERPRETATION He thinks that by exclusively adopting the virtuous ethical standpoint one will have a definitive answer to every moral problem. The others believe that Taylor’s proposal is flawed in some aspects. 2. ARISTOTOLE’S ETHICAL THEORY IN CONNECTION TO BUSINESS ETHICS The author states...
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