An Introduction to Ethics

Week Five: Aristotle

AristotleQuick Recap of Kant

Motive of duty and the Categorical Imperative

Axe-wielding maniac

Optimistic about human capacity

‘Inhuman’/’cold’

AristotleMill and Kant – Action based ethics

Moral worth attributed on the basis of the praiseworthiness/blameworthiness of action.

Aristotle?

AristotleMill and Kant – Action based ethics

Moral worth attributed on the basis of the praiseworthiness/blameworthiness of action.

Aristotle – Agent based ethics. Often paraphrased as: ‘not what it’s good to do, but what it’s good to be’. It would be a mistake to think that Aristotelian ethics (or, ‘Virtue Ethics’) is not action guiding… (we’ll see why soon).

Aims to answer the question: ‘what sort of person should one be’.

Aristotle – Quick BiogBorn in Macedonia (circa 384BC)

Died in Euboea (circa 322BC)

Educated at Plato’s ‘Academy’

Tutor to Ptolemy (father of Astrology) and Alexander the Great!

Aristotle – Quick BiogMain works studied today:

Physics

Metaphysics

De Anima

Politics

Eudemian Ethics

Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle – Quick BiogOur focus will be on the ‘Nicomachean Ethics’

Aristotle‘Happiness is activity in accordance with virtue’

Key terms:

1. Happiness

2. Activity

3. Virtue

By the end of the next session, we should be able to evaluate Aristotle’s (central) claim…

Aristotle‘The Good’

All human activity aims at some good, some goods are subordinate to others.

Two senses of ‘subordinate’

1. Some things are good instrumentally.

2. Some goods are valued less highly than others.

Aristotle‘The Good’ – That which we aim to achieve.

All action aims towards…

Aristotle‘The Good’

All action aims toward happiness.

Quick problem – ‘happiness’.

Translated from the Greek Eudaimonia.

Happiness is not synonymous with Eudaimonia.

Other (possible) translations include ‘well being’ and ‘flourishing’. Flourishing has become popular recently.

AristotleEudaimonia

Eudaimonia can be affected after you die…

AristotleHuman Good/Human Well-Being/Human

Flourishing.

‘The Good Man’ (sorry ladies).

One who ‘flourishes’ (achieves ‘eudaimonia’/happiness).

Good qua ‘man’.

Qua?

AristotleThe ‘Ergon’ Argument

Ergon = Function

The good knife

The good shoemaker

Notion of an ‘excellence’ – x has some proficiency/property that makes it a good x. x has an excellence.

AristotleGood shoemaker – good at making shoes.

Good lecturer – good at giving lectures

Good x – x is the standard by which we judge whether a thing is ‘good’ or not.

Good ‘man’? What is the relevant standard? What ‘property’ does a man have to have to be considered a ‘good man’?

AristotleOur ‘unique’ function.

‘Orders of ‘soul’’

Nutrition and (sometimes) motion (plant)

Nutrition, motion, and perception (animal)

Nutrition, motion, perception, and thought (human).

AristotleOur ‘unique’ function.

‘Orders of ‘soul’’

Nutrition, growth, and (sometimes) motion (plant)

Nutrition, growth, motion, and perception (animal)

Nutrition, growth, motion, perception, and thought (human).

‘Brutish’ life is where one leads an essentially animal life (resemblance to Kant?).

AristotleUnique Function

‘The function of man is an activity of soul which follows or implies a rational principle.’

Is this true? Only humans follow (or imply) a rational principle?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVaITA7eBZE

AristotleAristotle’s response might be to ‘up the bar’ as

to what counts as ‘reasoning’ – is this satisfying?

Aristotle‘Type’ – ‘instance’ distinction

Good Man (ideal type) – William (instance)

What is the difference between the two?

AristotleType – instance distinction

Good Man (ideal type) – William (instance)

What is the difference between the two?

A ‘good man’ will display the relevant excellences – a ‘good man’ will be in possession of ‘the virtues’. Thus, a good man is a virtuous man.

What is a virtue?

AristotleVirtues are things that help a human being

function well. Virtues are means to flourishing (remember Kant on courage, health, intelligence &c.).

Given that we want to function well (achieve eudaimonia), we have reason to cultivate our virtues…

Is this helpful on its own? What’s missing?

AristotleWhat is a virtue?

The ‘doctrine of the mean’.

A virtue is the mean (average) between two vices. One of excess, the other of deficiency.

Example – ‘courage’ is a virtue

Deficiency:

AristotleWhat is a virtue?

The ‘doctrine of the mean’.

A virtue is the mean (average) between two vices. One of excess, the other of deficiency.

Example – ‘courage’ is a virtue

Deficiency: Cowardliness

Excess:

AristotleWhat is a virtue?

The ‘doctrine of the mean’.

A virtue is the mean (average) between two vices. One of excess, the other of deficiency.

Example – ‘courage’ is a virtue

Deficiency: Cowardliness

Excess: ‘Foolhardiness’

AristotleWhat is a virtue?

Introduces idea of ‘proportionality’.

A virtuous man will act relative to what the situation demands.

AristotleDistinction between moral virtues (‘states of

character’) and intellectual virtues (necessary for one to reason well).

Loaning your sister money example…

AristotleHow does one become virtuous?

Training (‘upbringing’?), practice, habituation.

AristotleDegrees of ‘goodness’:

1. Virtuous man – ‘sees’ what needs to be done and ‘just does it’. (x is good, do x.)

2. ‘Continent man’ – sees what needs to be done, has a think, then does it. (x is good, but should I do x? Yes.)

3. ‘Incontinent man’ (weak willed/’akratic’) – sees what needs to be done, but doesn’t do it. (x is good, but I’ll not do x.)

AristotleAkrasia

Humorous translation – ‘incontinent’

Modern translation – ‘weak-willed’

Ancient problem. If we know the ‘right thing to do’, why do we sometimes fail to do this?

Socrates – ‘no-one knowingly does wrong’ – really?!