Virtue To Aristotle example essay topic

Aristotle's Ethical Theory Aristotle? sAristotle's Ethical Theory Essay, Research Paper Aristotle's ethical theory is expressed through many aspects. Aristotle tends to express his feeling towards virtue in a way where it can go two ways. He talks of how virtue is divided into moral and intellectual virtue. Excellence of character deals with the "good life' and happiness. People are concerned with their character and getting the golden mean in life. In a way all these are interrelated with each other.

Aristotle also explains the relation between ethics and politics. And this leads to the imply for nature of morality and living well. In the following this will all be pointed out and explained. Virtue to Aristotle is interpreted as the excellence of an object and that the object will perform it's function effectively. This goes for people as well. For example a "virtuous' teacher will successfully teach their students information they need to comprehend in order to go forward with their education.

Aristotle divides human virtue into two types. One is moral virtue and the other, intellectual. The wiser person would take to the intellectual virtue where a more continent person would go toward the more moral virtues. Philosophic wisdom, understanding and practical wisdom would be considered being intellectual virtue. Liberality and temperance, on the other hand, are known as moral virtue. Virtue is also a state of character that is concerned with choice with the mean.

This leads to discussing the mean according to Aristotle. People who are morally virtuous are always making their decisions according to the "golden mean'. Of course not everyone is the same therefore different people have different means. The good life is a life of happiness. Aristotle says such a life can be achieved by excellence in the two areas of virtue. But people are all aiming at some type of good in life.

Some just may have higher expectations in their goal. People with virtual excellence want to have the good life that according to them is the excellence of character. The good life is referred to as being happy with life. Happiness must have two concepts included to fit Aristotle's definition.

Someone must exercise their thought of reason. He calls this "activity of soul. ' Happiness also must have quality in the performance of the virtue. Happiness is the chief good that everyone wishes to accomplish. Happiness is self-sufficient and something final that is desirable to everyone.

Aristotle argued that the goal of human beings is happiness, and that we achieve happiness when we fulfill our function. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what our function is. The function of a thing is what it alone can do, or what it can do best. Like the function of the eye is to see.

Happiness is something that must be aligned with perfect virtue. This also goes along with the excellence of character. If someone is to have excellence of character they want or try to be happy and have the "good life'. If they achieve this then they will have the excellence of character. Some of these aspects are interrelated with each other.

For instance happiness is an activity of the soul that is along side of perfect virtue. Aristotle also states that virtue must be a state of character because of a persons desire to act in a way that would ensure that golden mean. Virtue, excellence, the mean, the good life, happiness and character are all interrelated within each other to be happy with life and achieve the golden mean. Aristotle explains his relation between Ethics and Politics.

Aristotle claims that the science of politics can determine peoples roles and directs their development as a person and believes that for this reason is "the good of man'. Everyone has desires and everyone want to get them but in politics people aim for different things. It was said that everyone aims at some type of good wether it is higher then some expectations of others. Political Science aims at the highest of all goods that can be taken or aquired by action. Sciences should be studied where citizens can learn all they can and get everything they can out of it.

Aristotle declared the human being as the "rational animal' whose function is to reason. In discussing Aristotle's ethical theory I found he sees virtue as the excellence of an object and that the object will perform it's function effectively. He also talked of the two types that people are classified into. Morally virtuous people base their life on finding the "golden mean. ' Aristotle argues how the good life is a life of happiness and that everyone is aiming for that. Happiness, explained by Aristotle, is the chief good desirable to everyone.

Excellence of character is achieved when someone has taken part in the good life and is truly happy. It was shown how all of these aspects are interrealted with each other in the sence that they all need each other to discuss a theory. Aristotle finally talks about Ethics and Politics that deals with the good of man and how people are influenced by these two issues. Aristotle talked of many things that people have and will continue to discuss for years to come.