nicomachaean ethics and politics

7/31/2019 Nicomachaean Ethics and Politics

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Ethics- is a study of the character of

human beings rests, as do allenquiries into human beings are to

behave, on a particular

understanding of what a human

being is.

- It is how individuals can become

excellent or can evaluate excellence.


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HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AS TELEOLOGICAL

ACTIVITY

Every art or applied science and every

systematic investigation, and similarlyevery action and choice, seem to aim at

some good; the good therefore, has

been well defined at that at which allthings aim (1094a)


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EUDAIMONIA

This final goal he identifies on

the basis on the basis of anappeal to experience as

eudaimonia, a wordtraditionally translated as

happiness (1097)


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THE FUNCTION (ERGON)

The proper function of man,

then, consists in an activity ofthe soul in conformity with a

rational principle, or, at least,not without it (1098a).


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THE DOCTRINE OF

MEAN

moral qualities.are

destroyed by defectand by excess (35)


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PRACTICAL WISDOM

(PHRONESIS)

a mean defined by a rationalprinciple, such as man of

practical wisdom would useto determine it (1106b)


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Range of Intellectual Skills

1.The moral person must be able to

evaluate a particular situation, torecognize it for what it is and in

relation to any actions which he orshe might undertake to respond to it.

2.The moral person must have been

able to work out through reasom

some knowledge of the overall good

as such.


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3. The moral person must be able to

understand the various goods

appropriate to his or her situationand stage of life.

4. The moral person must be able toreason from the general notion of the

good as such(Point 2) to a conclusion

about the specific range of goods

immediately to be achieved in the

present situation.


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5. Practical wisdom is the ability to

organize and use this differential

intellectual abilities and thus to select theright means for the attainment of the

appropriate goals and to issue commands

for action.

6. Almost as an afterthought, the notion

of cleverness, the ability to performthose steps which are conducive to a goal

we have set for ourselves and to attain

that goal (169).


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7. This form of reasoning can only

take place in a systematic form of

activity in which there is a shared

sense of roles and actions

recognized to be ordered accordingto their relative goodness, so that

one does not have a bewilderingarray of competing goods.


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THE PRACTICAL SYLLOGISM

Major Premise: The good life for me, which is my

overall goal, means that in situation X, virtue requires

me to do Y (my education, my observation of those

people famous for their virtue, and the habits I have

acquired over time).

Minor Premise: What I am faced with now is situation

X( this is from the analytical skills I have acquired inexperience and from education).

Conclusion: Therefore virtue requires that in this

situation I choose to do Y.


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THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING

HIERARCHY OF VIRTUE

1.Excellent characters aim at the good anddesire the good; the decision making is thus

free from tension.

2.Strong characters aim at the good but desire

the bad; their decision making is thus marked

by conflict.

3.Weak characters aim at the good but desire

the bad.

4.The worst characters aim at the bad and

desire the bad.


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SIGNIFICANCE/IMPACT

1.Aristotle stressed on the

community as the basis for our

sense of good life.

2.Practical observations and

experiences (especially of role

models)


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PROBLEMS/ISSUES

1. Aristotle did not clarify the human

function and what is something uniquelyabout human function.

2. Some interpreters suggest that the mainemphasis in the Ethics in not strictly on what

we might consider ethics and more on

success:

3. Aristotle did not gave his exact definition

of ractical wisdom.


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COMMENTS:

1. Aristotles importance of practical

experience makes sense to me inanchoring my moral values.

2. His concept of a team player with a team

behavior can give us opportunity toevaluate our actions in a given situation

and select the most appropriate choice.

3. Aristotles most important influence is to

EDUCATE the people and produce

EDUCATED CITIZENS.


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CITIZENSHIP- Holding of public office and administration of

justice.

CORRECT DEVIANT

ONE RULER KINGSHIP TYRANNY

FEW RULERS ARISTOCRACY OLIGARCHY

MANY RULERS POLITY DEMOCRACY

SIX KINDS OF CONSTITUTION


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PRINCIPLES OF DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE-

benefits should be conferred upon

different citizens differently

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.The greatest tension in any state is the

mutual resentment between the rich and

the poor.2.Strong middle class keeps the state in

balance and guards against corruption

and oppression.


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THREE BRANCHES OF CIVIC

GOVERNMENT

DELIBERATIVE- makes the major

political decisions of the state.EXECUTIVE runs the day-to-day

business of the state.JUDICIAL oversees legal affairs of

the state.


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WHAT MAKES AN IDEAL STATE?

1.City-state should be arranged to

maximize the happiness of its citizen.2.Should be located by the water.

3.Young citizens serve in the military,

middle-aged citizens govern, oldercitizens take care of religious affairs,

noncitizen laborers take care of farming

and crafts.

4.Education is important to ensuring the

well-being of the city.

SIGNIFICANCE/INFLUENCE


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SIGNIFICANCE/INFLUENCE:

1. Deep influence on political philosophy until today.

1.1 role of human nature in politics

1.2 relation of the individual to the state1.3 place of morality in politics

1.4 theory of political justice

1.5 the rule of law

1.6 analysis and evaluation of constitutions

1.7 relevance of ideals to practical politics

1.8 the causes and cures of political change and

revolution1.9 the importance of a morally educated citizenry

2. Unifying a community

3. Distributive Justice

4. The Written Law


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PROBLEMS/ISSUES:

1.Aristotle frequently compares

the politician to a craftsman.

2.There is absence of individualfreedom and the protection of

a citizens private life from thepublic eye.


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COMMENTS:

1.Aristotle is unconcerned thatthe rich have all the

opportunity to achieve merit.2.He endorse slavery and yet

he opposes the enslavementof other Greeks.

nicomachaean ethics and politics

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