Aristotle on Virtuous Character

goodness & virtue

- According to Aristotle, we are not born good (or bad), and we are not born with innate knowledge. - We have the capacity to be good or bad and with the ability to learn to think. - We are born with the natural striving after our own good, but we have to develop what we think that is, because we are not born with the knowledge of what is good for us and what is bad for us. - The means by which we attain goodness is virtue. The means by which we miss becoming good is called vice at the moral level or arrogance at the theoretical level.

The good explained

- Aristotle claims that everything strives towards its own good - This is a natural tendency of things that make up reality. All things seek to become good: self-sufficient or at peace having achieved satisfaction, fulfillment, wholeness, full development, and integrity. In such state, one is completely good - Striving towards the good is the very subject matter of ethics

do human beings have a good

- Aristotle says that every part of the body has a good - Everything that a human being does a whole person has a good - Therefore, since every part of us has a purpose and everything we do as whole people has a purpose, then it is reasonable to believe that human beings as beings, have a purpose

intellectual virtue defined

- Intellectual virtue involves wisdom, scientific reasoning, intuitive and logical reasoning, and artistic & craft knowledge - One characteristic of thinking is that it is self-satisfying - Thinking can also be enjoyed under any circumstances - Thinking, when completed, always increases happiness -

habits

- People use habits to discipline their behavior - Habits are especially important for our moral virtues that shape how we control our irrational appetites - Habits are helpful to make better and continual use of our intellectual virtues

Aristotle's view of the human soul

- Soul simply refers to the animating principle. Soul is still our best concept and answer for defining life -

biblical wisdom

- based on God being able to unite us around the common purpose of love. Fruits are born of love in your heart, not of discipline

the point of virtue ethics

- being a good person with good character - People act out of their own character - Each person is responsible for the good or bad consequences of his or her own actions - In Virtue Ethics all ethical problems are interpersonal moral problems, & you ask what kind of person do you want to be

Aristotle's act structure

- explains how we create habits - After we have deliberated on the best way to satisfy our wishes, motives and desires, for routine things, we develop habits for waking, exercising and so on. Through habits, we do not have to deliberate each action we take. Habits are especially helpful for developing moral virtues such as courage.

intellectual virtue

- more important virtue because it helps our souls live up to our rational natures. By living up to our nature we will enjoy the greatest development of our nature that is possible, and so attain our greatest fulfillment

Aristotle's defin of good characteristics

- nature of the entire universe - when defining good, Aristotle is connecting ethics to the directive order of the whole universe - importance of talking about the GOOD, TRUE, and BEAUTIFUL

Character vs personality

- refers to character traits: those tendencies that are habitual ways of responding to life's factors with the well-being of others in mind, & so understood as either good and bad intent - Personality refers to one's emotional sense of self in the world as is shaped by defining one's unique qualities within certain social contexts.

integrity

- the core of moral character and personhood, According to Ophardt - Integrity provides us with personal freedom and power to do good in the world; note: "good" builds up, "bad" tears down. People of integrity do not intend to hurt people. - Integrity is a normative, not a descriptive term: To have integrity is to be held together by strong and reliable bonds. (rocks, or trees for example) Things have a natural tendency to integrity: chemically, biologically, socially, psychologically, economically, and rationally. - You gain integrity by seeing self-fulfillment through something other than yourself, specifically, what is true and good. (Reason, not alchemy, yields integrity) - Note: when the self is its own guardian and measure, then it becomes focused on empowering its own will to shape life to fit itself, instead of showing the self how to fit into the order of life - A person of integrity is committed to what is true and good

Aristotle's view on happiness

- views happiness not as an emotion, but as a state of being satisfied or fulfilled - Happiness is an internal measure of how well you are doing with your life

The basis of virtue ethics is thought by

Aristotle

what is the good that defines the uniqueness of human beings

Aristotle's wants to find the good or purpose that defines the uniqueness of human beings - Reason ; being rational means that we do not simply respond to our environment. Man is the rational animal

Aristotle's guidance for practical wisdom

In order to do the right thing well, we should try to commit our action - at the righttime - in the rightplace - towards the rightperson/people - with the rightamount of force - in the rightway - inspired by the rightmotive(s) - for the rightpurpose Note: a synonym for "right" is "appropriate" or "fitting"

Bible's connection with Integrity

The Bible connects "integrity" to man's "heart" and to God's Word (Truth and Goodness), and to one's faithfulness, as the center of our self-knowledge, self-worth, and self-hood - The heart is the Bible's word for the core faith of one's integrity, by which one is true to oneself; one's identity

Aristotle's defin of good

The good is that (state of being whole and fulfilled) at which all things aim - The good is likened to a target that orients all actions

Happiness definition

activity in accordance with perfect (complete) virtue

Justice

activity of people in pursuit of the perfection (completeness) of their society

fruits of the spirit

goodness, Righteousness, truth

2 kinds of virtues

intellectual and moral virtue

bible's list of virtues

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Aristotle's defin of virtue

performance towards the good

the good refers to

real things, not all concepts - Everything real has a good, but not everything we can name has a good

Good character

refers to the virtuous habits of my soul and so my behavior and dispositions

practical wisdom

the habitual application of intellectual principles to concrete situations

theoretical wisdom

the habitual use of analytic and wisely speculative reasoning throughout one's daily life

Moral Virtue definition

the habituation of mean disposition towards one's capacity to feel

Reputation

the values and knowledge associated with a person due to previous actions, publicity of those actions, and the shared opinions of others regarding oneself - We cannot fully control our reputations, because our reputations are set and measured by people in society