Aristotle’s Ethics

1. Aristotle’s Ethics

2. Ancient Athens

3. Aristotle

4. Aristotle: Goods • Instrumental goods: desired for the sake of something else • Intrinsic goods: desired for their own sake

5. Happiness • One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness

6. Happiness • One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness • Happiness (eudaimonia) = living well = flourishing

7. Happiness • One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness • Happiness (eudaimonia) = living well = flourishing • What does that require? Prosperity and luck, yes, but more

8. Living well • What is it to live well?

9. Living well • What is it to live well? • Analogies: • A good knife cuts well • A good eye sees well • A good teacher teaches well

10. Living well • What is it to live well? • Analogies: • A good knife cuts well • A good eye sees well • A good teacher teaches well • A good person _____s well

11. Function • A thing’s function stems from what is special about it: what distinguishes it from other things • Knives cut: sharpness —> cutting • Eyes see: ability to see —> seeing • Teachers teach: ability to teach —> teaching

12. Our Function • What is the function of a human being?

13. Our Function • What is the function of a human being? • What is special about people?

14. Our Function • What is the function of a human being? • What is special about people? • We act according to rational plans

15. Virtue • Our function is rational activity • A good person succeeds at rational activity • Virtue = excellence • A virtuous person excels at rational activity

16. Two Kinds of Virtue • Virtue = rational activity • Excellence in rationality: intellectual virtue • Excellence in activity: moral virtue

17. Becoming virtuous • Intellectual virtue can be taught • Moral virtue can’t be • It requires developing habits • We become good by doing good things

18. Right and wrong • An act is right if it is something a virtuous person would tend to do

19. Circular? • Moderns: A virtuous person is one who tends to do the right thing.

20. Circular? • Moderns: A virtuous person is one who tends to do the right thing. • Aristotle: That’s not enough. A virtuous person tends to do the right thing as virtuous people do them. • A good person consistently does the right thing at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason. • Virtuous people do the right thing for the right reason: because it’s the right thing to do.

21. Virtue as a Mean • Virtues are means between extremes • Virtues constrain desires • But we may constrain too little or too much

22. Virtues and Vices Drive Too little Just right Too much Fear cowardly courageous rash Pleasure self-indulgent self-controlled insensitive Material goods stingy generous extravagant Self-esteem vain high-minded small-minded Anger short-tempered gentle apathetic Sociability obsequious friendly grouchy Boasting boastful truthful self-deprecating Humor clownish witty boring Drive for honor ambitious ? unambitious Spending grudging magnificent vulgar

23. Virtue as a Mean • We must give in to desire in the right circumstances, in the right way, for the right reason, etc. • Practical wisdom—the ability to draw the right distinctions and tell right from wrong—allows us to find the mean • There’s no rule for doing this • You must learn to see what is right

24. Can one be too moral? • It’s possible to be “too generous” (extravagant), “too courageous” (rash), “too witty” (clownish), etc. • Is it possible to be too moral?

25. Right Virtuous people would tend to do it Aristotle’s Theory Too narrow? (False negatives) Too broad? (False positives)