Aristotle Ethics Essay - 1910 Words

Ekta Yadav Phil.322 2/19/07 Aristotle Ethics Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics provides a sensible account for what true moral virtue is and how one may go about attaining it. Aristotle covers many topics that help reach this conclusion. One of them being the idea of mean between the extremes. Although Aristotle provided a reliable account for many philosophers to follow, Rosalind Hursthouse along with many others finds lose ends and topics which can be easily misinterpreted in Aristotles writing. Aristotle explains his concept of mean between the extremes by the following quote: In everything that is continuous and divisible it is possible to take more, less, or an equal amount, and that either in terms of the thing itself or†¦show more content†¦For example, as Aristotle explains, a coward lies further away from the mean (having courage) then rashness does. In a way, being rash implies being courageous because one who is rash does not think too hard before acting therefore shows courage, even though he/she does so in an illogical way. On the opposite end, someone who is referred to as a coward shows no courage and does not act bravely but rather chooses to hide and do nothing. The second method Aristotle discusses is related to ourselves and what we assume to be closer to the mean. He says that the things we mostly tend to do are the things we consider further from the mean. In other words we consider ourselves to be deficient in a sense because what we do seems to be the flip side of the intermediate. He says that since the extreme which is furthest from the mean is that which is the most contrary to the mean we describe the things we are most likely to lapse inot as contrary to the intermediate. In addition, referring back the courage example, people know that we are more likely to be cowardly than rash, so we are more aware of being deficient in courage. Aristotle goes on to discuss how one may figure out what extreme the mean is closer to. He says that to do so, one must follow three rules: 1) avoid the extreme which is furthest from the mean, 2) notice what errors we are most likely to commit and avoid themShow MoreRelatedAristotle Of Aristotle : Nicomachean Ethics1487 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Happiness: it’s something we humans search far and wide for, to attain before we are called home at death. We go through our daily lives, making choices, commitments, changes, decisions. We set goals for ourselves, push ourselves, hurt ourselves, inspire ourselves, lose ourselves, find ourselves†¦but why? 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