PHL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Nicomachean Ethics, Virtue Ethics, Deductive Reasoning
4 Dec 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Evan Reed
PHL 101
Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2018
Professor Herman
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
● The second most influential philosopher of ancient Greece is Aristotle
● His main contribution to human knowledge is his idea of Scientific Method
Scientific inquiry:
1) Starts with observation and sense perception
2) Always study complex things by studying their simpler components first; and
3) Deductive logic
- Hoped that scientific method could lead us to discover the causes and principles of
things, and enable us to see how these fit into the scheme of nature
● In Ancient Greece, Ethics had to deal with one’s own self as opposed to dealing with
others
● They didn’t view ethics as general guidelines that established how to treat others, but as a
personal and individual matter
● Given this orientation the central question was about the character of a person
What makes a man good? – A question that Aristotle begins his Ethical Theory
● Aristotle said: The activity of the soul in conformity of the virtue
● Thus, while most moral theories are after finding the answer to the question of right
action, Aristotle’s ethics is after finding what human character is virtuous. To understand
ethics, then we need to understand what makes someone a virtuous person
● The question is “what is virtue?”
● Aristotle says that a virtue is the mean by reference to two voices:
1) Excess
2) Deficiency
- Ex: The virtue of Courage avoids the excess of foolhardiness and deficiency of
cowardice
● Ethics, on this account, is less about knowing and more about acting
● Characteristic of Plato and Aristotle is Aristotle is more interested in what is around him
● Thus, a person who practices and masters character traits that are good to have will
become virtuous, and a virtuous person in turn is able to lead a good life
● According to virtue ethics the connection between our character and our action makes us
see our moral character as a unified whole as opposed to a series of separate and isolated
actions
What is the goal of this activity/practice?
● For Aristotle, the final end of man is eudaimonia or happiness
- Not drunken happiness but contentment that results from fulfillment
- In order to achieve happiness, a person needs to become virtuous done by mastering
the skill of avoiding excess and deficiency in ones actions. 27
● In this sense the development of character becomes important.
● Thus when we look at the virtue of justice, we find that it is the state of character that
disposes one to do just acts, and to act justly
Document Summary
The second most influential philosopher of ancient greece is aristotle. His main contribution to human knowledge is his idea of scientific method. Scientific inquiry: starts with observation and sense perception, always study complex things by studying their simpler components first; and, deductive logic. Hoped that scientific method could lead us to discover the causes and principles of things, and enable us to see how these fit into the scheme of nature. In ancient greece, ethics had to deal with one"s own self as opposed to dealing with others. They didn"t view ethics as general guidelines that established how to treat others, but as a personal and individual matter. Given this orientation the central question was about the character of a person. A question that aristotle begins his ethical theory. Aristotle said: the activity of the soul in conformity of the virtue.
