Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Plato example essay topic

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics TheAristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Essay, Research Paper The Good Man Base on: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Plato believed that a man could only become good by knowing the truth, and he could not know the truth without being good. This shows to be somewhat of a paradoxical argument. On the other hand, Aristotle had a different theory regarding the goodness of man. Aristotle claimed that the good man was the norm and the measure of ethical truth.

Pertaining to Aristotle's definitions, in this essay I will explain the meaning of the previous statement. I will then critique it from an internal view and contrast that by critiquing it from an external view. As ethics has developed and changed over the years, Aristotle's concept of the good man can be altered to fit our modern society. An Understanding In an attempt to understand Aristotle's statement, the contents of that statement must be analyzed. There are four key contents to discuss. They are the good, the function of man, the notion of ethics, and ethical truth.

Book One in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics discusses the most worthwhile human life. The life in question is the good life. Aristotle states that all of our activities aim to produce the good life. Every activity aims at some good; therefore, there is some good at which every activity is aimed.

However, he states this is a fallacious argument. His point is to open up a hierarchy of goods. Every activity aims at some good and is subordinate to some other activity. The good of the ruling activity is more choice worthy. The highest good will be that for the sake of which we engage in any activity, and that is the topic of ethics. Aristotle then comments on Plato's theory of the good.

Plato claimed there was a "universally present' characteristic in all good things. However, Aristotle states that if there were a "universal' good, then there could be a single science of it. Yet there is no single science of good food, good people, good friendship, etc. Aristotle concludes that there is no universal good. Aristotle must now fashion his own interpretation of what he calls the "highest' good. The highest good is ultimately the aim of all actions.

"What is best appears to be something complete' (1097 a 29) and this must be self-sufficient in that, nothing can make it better. "Of this sort happiness seems most to be. ' (1097 b) The next content to be discussed is the function of man. Aristotle tells us that our function is to live, and to do what we do humanly. We are to live in understanding and insight. We have reason, we act and we don't react.

All fashions of human nature have to be lived thoughtfully from within. One is accountable and must act for one's own reasons and not another's. In essence, the function of man is to live ethically. The third content of Aristotle's statement is ethics.

However to be more specific, I'll discuss what is ethically good. Living ethically good is contributing to the concept of happiness noted above. Ethics is not concerned with judging others. It is integrative rather than disintegrative. We act humanly, rather than tell and judge others on how they act. Thus ethics involves analyzing one's own inner landscape in the ongoing determination of what is right and wrong.

The final subject to discuss regarding Aristotle's statement is ethical truth. Ethics has already been defined. Truth is an accurate description of the way things are. "For a carpenter and a geometer investigate the right angle in different ways; the former does so in so far as the right angle is useful for his work, while the latter inquires what it is or what sort of thing it is; for he is a spectator of the truth.

' (1098 a 29) Now that the good, the function of man, ethics and ethical truth have been examined, there can be a clearer understanding of Aristotle's statement. Internal In searching for the human good, Aristotle suggests that it is worthwhile to determine whether human beings have a unique function. For that which does have a function, its virtue or excellence consists in its performing that function well and to do that is the good for that subject. For example, the function of a singer is to sing well, and the good singer is one who not only sings but also in addition does it well. Assuming that there is a unique, human function, Aristotle attempts to find it. In cannot be biological processes like breathing or sensations like pleasure and pain because these are common to all animals.

Aristotle states that what remains is reason. However, there must be a part of the human being that performs this distinctive human function. Aristotle doesn't seem to suggest what part of the human being performs the function of reason. For to be humanly good, not only must be use reason, but we must use it well. Yet again, Aristotle does not suggest how one uses reason well. Aristotle states that happiness is the highest good because it is complete and self-sufficient.

Aristotle defines happiness, as being well guided from within by spiritual power, but a real description is much more spectacular and involved. To truly know happiness is to live at a point of perfection of which no one has ever known. It is to be in control of oneself, to develop a strong character that can withstand external actions without reacting. It is to live in balance, to be dignified, to be accountable for one's own actions, to live thoughtfully. Happiness is guiding one's own life from the inside, judging oneself instead of others. Happiness is every good thing that the human life represents.

This concept makes a lot of sense. Happiness is the highest good because it involves every good aspect of living a good life. It is not easy to achieve total happiness in life. I would doubt that there is anyone alive that can proclaim to the world that they live in complete happiness they way Aristotle describes it. However being ethically good by contributing to the efforts of living happily is more easily achieved. Aristotle makes a good point when he describes this.

Not everyone is capable of living in happiness, but much more people are capable of living ethically good. Complete happiness may never be achieved, but to even attempt it is quite commendable. Aristotle does not define ethical truth. He does define ethical goodness. These terms can be looked upon with the same value. For to live ethically and good is to live truthfully.

Therefore, the good man, if one exists, is the measure of ethical truth. This is a good statement because it is factual and true. By definition, the good man is ethically good and in doing so, is ethically truthful. External In our modern society, goodness is a relative term. Someone is judged to be good by comparison to someone who is not. That is quite a difference from the way goodness was measured by Aristotle.

Now that our ethics are no longer agent centered, society can no longer handle controlling themselves. The good man is not the norm, nor is he the measure of ethical truth. The good man no longer exists in the way Aristotle described. Goodness is now measured by others rather than within the individual. The concept of happiness that Aristotle described is not achievable in this day and age simply because of the way society has developed. Christianity developed command ethics and from then on, agent centered ethics has not been practiced by many people.

Many people expect others to maintain themselves with some relative degree of goodness about their character. So in that, a degree of goodness can be expected. However, a good person cannot be a measure of ethical truth. These days, ethical truth or ethical goodness is a measure of a good person. Now we have certain criteria that can be used to define acting ethically.

A person is judge by others to be good by how well that person fits those criteria. For example, a wealthy individual may not want to donate a large sum of money to a worthy organization. Social pressure may be enough to compel that person to donate money. If that person donates enough money to satisfy the expectations of the society, that person is perceived as being a good person.

In an agent centered ethical world, Aristotle's "good man' may be the norm and the measure of ethical truth. However approaching the new millennium, the standard of ethical goodness is the measure of a person's goodness.