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Aristotle (384-322 BCE): What is Virtue?

Aristotle (384-322 BCE): What is Virtue?. PHIL 1003 Semester I 2009-10. What causes downfall of Plato’s best regime?. Inevitable degeneration of best regime ( Rep ., 546a-e); Fault of imperfect matings: how can this happen? Platonic numerology and astrology;

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Aristotle (384-322 BCE): What is Virtue?

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  1. Aristotle (384-322 BCE):What is Virtue? PHIL 1003 Semester I 2009-10

  2. What causes downfall of Plato’s best regime? • Inevitable degeneration of best regime (Rep., 546a-e); • Fault of imperfect matings: how can this happen? • Platonic numerology and astrology; • Calculate the ‘number’ for a human creature; no one understands it! • Matings out of sync with this number; • Result: children fall short of ideal; • Classes become mixed, no more pure golds; • Passionate pursue their ambitions, creating oligarchy • rule of the few in their own self-interest.

  3. Aristotle’s Contributions • Major ethical theorist; • Major political thinker; • theorist of democracy: qualified approval • Cf. Platonic critique of democracy = rule of the worst elements; • Biologist; • Used scientific method to analyze political institutions; • Logic = the ‘organon’, or tool.

  4. Ancient Greece

  5. Aristotle’s life • 384 BCE born in Stagira (Macedonia) • therefore could not become an Athenian citizen; • Son of a court physician, Nicomachus; • 367-347 studied in Plato’s Academy, Athens • 347 Plato dies; Aristotle in Assos, Mytilene and Macedonia; • In Asia Minor studies marine organisms; • 342 tutors the Macedonian prince, Alexander; • little discernible influence • 335 returns to Athens, founds Lyceum; • 322 dies in Chalcis.

  6. School of Athens by Raphael (16th cent.)

  7. What this picture illustrates Plato pointing at sky, Aristotle at earth. Why?

  8. Aristotle’s Method • Empirical and concrete: based in biology • Make observations of phenomena • Draw conclusions on that basis • Social and ethical questions: • examine actual views on an issue or topic; • Find out what the telos, or goal of sth is; • That tells you its nature, and • What its good is: everything has its goal • This is empirical.

  9. An acorn’s telos

  10. Aristotle’s idea of The Good • No one good or Form of the Good (cf. Plato) • Many goods—the good of each thing, organism, person, e.g. • The good of cats • The good of trees • The good of society • The good of philosophers • The good of a thing is determined by examining its nature: • We understand the nature of a thing by looking at its goal or telos.

  11. Plato Soul: 3 pts: reason, passion desires Society: 3 pts: rulers, guardians people Aristotle Soul: 2 pts: reason desires Society: 2 pts: rulers (rotation among citizens) ruled: citizens and others What Plato and Aristotle share: soul-society analogy

  12. Aristotle’s view of the soul

  13. Aristotle’s Hierarchy of Beings • 3 kinds of soul: • Vegetative: plants • Sensitive (having senses): animals • Rational and active: man These ideas still used in the 17th century by Descartes. What is unique to man is reasoning ability and his highest good/goal/telos is to exercise that ability in action. Plants and animals have different goals than man because they have different natures/souls.

  14. Hierarchy of goods, sciences • Critique of Plato’s Form of the Good (1096a15) • Not one good, but many • Good of city at top of ‘hierarchy of goods’ • Good of individual subordinate (NE, 1.2) • Why? • Not one science of good, but many (1096a30) • Controlling science = political science • All other sciences subordinate—generalship, household mgmt, rhetoric • Why?

  15. What is the Good for man? • For sake of which we do things • Many of our activities are instrumental, only means to the end • Characteristics of the Good for man: • Self-sufficient • ‘Choiceworthy’ (having merit) • Active.

  16. The Good = happiness; what is happiness? • Is it freedom from pain? • Is it the opposite of whatever state in which one finds oneself? • Many believe it is gratification of desires: • Honor, being admired, respected • Wealth—’not the good we are seeking’ (1096a) • Health • Having fun. • Aristotle on wealth, health, intelligence, etc: • Only instruments we use to pursue the good • Not ends in themselves!

  17. ‘…the human good turns out to be… the soul’s activity that expresses virtue’ (NE, 1098a20)

  18. You are not born virtuous; You must become virtuous.

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