Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle)

From what do virtues of character (pertaining to action, not thought) result? (pg. 18)

habit (ethos)

Is happiness a state or an activity? (pg. 162)

An activity (with other people), because If it were a state, a person could have it but be asleep his whole life.

Aristotle says "the badness of something that lacks an internal principle of its badness is less destructive than the badness of something that has such an internal principle; and understanding is such an internal principle." (109) Which badnesses apply to incontinence (lack of self-control) and intemperance (self-indulgence)?

Badness with internal principle/ badness without Of two bad things, a thing is worse if it has internal principle to it, which is understanding. So understanding badness when you do it is the worse. INTEMPERATE person is worse because they have understanding and think its right. Incurable. More bad. It is worse to think that youre right about it. Its better to do it with ignorance (incontinent person, lacks internal principle) who later regrets his actions. An intemperate person has no regrets and is "incurable." Incontinent is not lead by decision but is lead by pleasure. Intemperate is avoiding pain that comes from appetite. Intemperate is worse than incontinent because he does certain "unacceptable" things when he is not affected by feeling; what will he do when he is affected?

Is it better to be happy by being fortunate or by exercising virtue? Why? (pg. 12)

By exercising virtue because the prize and goal of virtue is the best good, something divine and blessed. Happiness by virtue is widely shared.

What is the difference between the continent (self-controlled) and incontinent (un-self-controlled) person in their relation to their own process of reasoning? (pg. 100)

Continent person abides by rational calculation; the incontinent abandons it. Incontinent knows his actions are base, but does them because of his feelings (he knows better). The continent person knows his actions are base, but doesn't follow them because of reason.

What are the three types of goods? (pg. 10)

External: we need money to be generous, for example Goods of the soul: most full goods Goods of the body

How exact in his inquiry does Aristotle aim to be? Why? What is the aim of political science? (pgs. 2-3)

Good varies from person to person (what is good for one may destroy another: bravery and wealth), so Aristotle aims for a rough outline of the good. The end of political science is action (not knowledge)

What are the three most favored ways of life, according to Aristotle? And what are the problems with two of them? (pgs. 4-5)

Gratification: see good as pleasure. Con: this is the life of a grazing animal; completely slavish Political activity: see good as honor Con: depends on those who honor us, so its superficial. We intuitively believe that the good is something of our own. Study:

What is the end of action? (pg. 3)

Happiness (although people disagree over what constitutes happiness)

Why is the intemperate (self-indulgent) person incurable? (pgs. 110-111)

Has no regrets

What is the correct subjective state for exercising virtue? (pg. 22)

He first must know that he is doing he virtuous action, he must decide on those actions for themselves, and he must do it in a firm and unchanging state. knowledge, decision, firmness

What is Aristotle's account of happiness? (pgs. 7-8)

If ends are achievable in action, the good will be this end, and the most complete one. Happiness is the most complete end.

What is the causal relationship between capacity and activity in exercising virtue? (pgs. 18-19)

If something arises in us from nature, we first have the capacity for it, then we perform the activity (for example, senses. We already have them when we exercise them). In contrast, we acquire virtue after first activating it. We become just by doing just actions. A state of character results from the repetition of similar activities.

Why must desire have something it desires as an end in itself? And what is that end? (pg. 1)

If we choose everything because of something else (rather than having an end to the desire), then desire proves to be empty and futile. This end is the good.

What is the difference between the incontinent (un-self-controlled) person and the intemperate (self-indulgent) person? (pg. 102)

Incontinent isn't incontinent about everything, same range as intemperate person. Intemperate person acts on decision, he thinks he is right in every case. Incontinent person thinks it is wrong to pursue yet still pursues it.

What is intemperance (self-indulgence) about? How is this similar or different to the subject-matter of incontinence (lack of self-control)? (pg. 105)

Intemperance is about people concerned with bodily gratifications. Prone to be overcome by pleasures. In a way, both incontinence and intemperance are about pleasures and pains, and about the same things. But, the intemperate person decides on it while the incontinent does not.

What is the result of a proper education? (pg. 21)

Makes us find pleasure or pain in the correct things

What does it mean that virtue is a mean relative to us? (pg. 24)

Much like six pounds (mean of 2 and 10) of food would be too little for a weightlifter but too much for a gymnast. Virtue is a mean.

Is each virtue a perfect mean between its extremes? (pg. 28)

No, one extreme can be more similar to the mean. For instance, rashness is more similar to bravery than cowardice, so we oppose cowardice more than rashness

Is Aristotle's project solely focused on what is good for the individual? What might be greater than the good of the individual? (pg. 2)

No. The good of the city is greater. While acquiring and preserving the good of an individual is satisfactory, it is finer and more divine to do so for a people and for cities. It is a greater and more complete good. (tie to political science)

Can one be happy without making recourse (source of help in difficult situations) to external goods? (pg. 11)

No. happiness needs external goods because we cannot (or cannot easily) do fine actions if we lack the resources. In many our actions we use friends, wealth, and political power as resources, for example.

Describe Aristotle's function argument. What are the three parts of the soul he outlines here? (pgs. 8-9)

Nutritive→ shared with plants (living/ nutrition and growth) Sensitive→ shared with animals (sense perception) **Reason→ one part has reason obeying reason, the other having reason and thinking Human function is activity of the soul that requires reason

What is the fuller description of the parts of soul, according to Aristotle? (pgs. 17-18)

One part of the soul is non-rational, while the other has reason each has two parts. The non-rational part has a part that is concerned with nutrition and growth (nutritive); it is plantlike and shared with all living things. The virtue of this part is not explicitly human, and can even be fulfilled in sleep. The non-rational part also has a part that shares in reason. It's the part of the soul that struggles, clashes, and counteracts reason. Impulses in contrary directions for the incontinent (uncontrolled) person. For the continent person, it obeys and is persuaded by reason. This part has appetites and general desires. The rational part has a part that has reason within itself, and also has reason by listening to reason

What is the greatest danger for virtue? (pg. 29)

Pleasure and its sources; we are already biased toward it

What is incontinence (lack of self-control) about? (pg. 104)

Pleasures and pains

What does every "craft, line of inquiry, and likewise every action and decision" seek, according to Aristotle? (pg. 1)

Seeks some good

Does Socrates' think the incontinent (un-self-controlled) person has knowledge? (pgs. 100-101)

Socrates didn't think he had knowledge because he didn't believe that someone could purposefully ignore that knowledge. Socrates believed that our action conflict with what is best only when we are ignorant of the conflict, as in when we don't know any better.

What is the clearest indication of a person's character? (pg. 20)

Someone's pleasure or pain following his actions. For example, if someone abstains from bodily pleasures and enjoys that, he is temperate. If he hates it, he is intemperate.

Why isn't the political life as good as the life of study or contemplation? (pgs. 163-166)

Study is liked for itself alone, and it is in accord with proper virtue. It is a supreme activity because understanding is the supreme element in us. Most continuous activity. Happiness is found in leisure, and political activity Is not leisurely. A life in accord with understanding is divine, pleasant, supreme, and the happiest. Political activity is secondary because the activities in accord are human, and so is the life and happiness. Virtue of understanding is separated from this. Study is self-sufficient. Study has to do with the rational part of the soul, and the most divine. Just like gods, who don't have bodies, so when we are only thinking, we are the most godlike. We emulate the divine through studying and thinking. You need less external goods, people, time and institutions.

How many ways can one go wrong in trying to be virtuous? How many ways can one succeed? (pgs. 24-25)

There are many ways to be wrong, but only one way to be correct. This is why error is so easily and correctness so difficult. We are noble in only one way, but bad in all sorts of ways

What is the legislator's or politician's job? (pgs. 169-9)

Urge people toward virtue and exhort them to aim at the fine, but must impose corrective treatments and penalties on anyone who disobeys or lacks the right nature, and must completely expel an incurable.

What is the virtue of eyes? (pg. 23)

Virtue of the eyes (like everything that possesses a specific virtue) makes it and its functioning excellent because it makes us see well.

Does virtue pertain to the body or the soul? (pg. 16)

Virtue pertains to the soul, because happiness is an activity of the soul and happiness is in accord with complete virtue

But why, to be happy, do we human beings need to engage in politics to be happy? (pgs. 166-7)

We have these bodies that need to be fed and healthy. We need politics from city (political science) and stuff to be happy and get the external goods we need. Happiness needs external prosperity also.

Can pleasure and happiness mix? (pg. 163)

Yes, and activities that accord with wisdom (like study) are the most pleasant of the activities in accord with virtue (i.e. complete happiness)

Is being virtuous itself pleasurable? (pg. 11)

Yes. Actions in accord with virtue are pleasant in nature, so that they both please lovers of the fine and are pleasant in their own right

What is the definition of virtue? (pg. 25)

the mean between two vices (excess and deficiency) decided by reason as a prudent person would define it. Give the names for three virtues along with their excess, and deficiency. (pgs. 26-27 and chart on blackboard) ******look up chart!