Does Aristotle's Virtue In How Can We Reach The Mean?

Aristotle and Plato both said that there are four "natural virtues": Justice, Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. These values are all necessary to achieve human flourishing. Another key part of Aristotle’s ethic is what he referred to as ‘The Golden Mean’. He believed that a virtue can not necessarily be viewed as a virtue when it is used in excess. For example, courage is a virtue, but in excess it becomes rashness, a vice rather than a virtue. Moreover, when there is a lack of a certain virtue, this is also considered a vice. Aristotle's ethic is based primarily on balance. There cannot be too much excess or too little of the virtue. Thus, he said: "The mean [i.e. the balance] is successful and commendable. Virtue then is a state of deliberate moral purpose consisting in a mean that is relative to ourselves, the mean being determined by reason, or as a prudent man would determine it.”

I believe virtue is anything that may be advantageous in one’s own way. It may be good, it may be bad in

definition of virtue says it is a point between a deficiency and an excess of trait, and the point of

Then there are the two extreme ends of the states of character which is superhuman virtue and brutishness. Superhuman virtue is displaying virtuous character in every case including extreme situations. On the opposite end, brutishness is absent of reason and the desires are so morbidly wrong that the actions are morbidly wrong as a result. Aristotle feels people should strive for the superhuman virtue state, yet because being superhumanly virtuous is incredibly difficult, being virtuous or continent is seen as good as well.

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores virtues as necessary conditions for being happy. A virtuous person is a person with a disposition toward virtuous actions and who derives pleasure from behaving virtuously. Aristotle distinguishes between two types of human virtue: virtues of thought and virtues of character. Virtues of thought are acquired through learning and include virtues like wisdom and prudence; virtues of character include bravery and charity, which are acquired by habituation and require external goods to develop. As a consequence, not all people can acquire virtues of character because not all people have the external goods and resources required to develop that disposition.

The relationship of the virtues appear seemingly that the unjust person inevitably fails to be moderate, courageous, or wise. You might try to refute this saying that a person can be courageous—with strong-willed attitudes that trail perfectly with what the rational attitude says is impressive and not, but still be unjust as their rational attitudes are poorly established, not knowing what really is impressive. But Socrates seemed to hesitate at this possibility by opposing the courageous person whose spirit conserves beliefs about what is impressive and not and the sincerely courageous person in whose spirit stores knowledge about what is impressive and not. A person can be moderate, or without attitudes at odds with what their rational attitudes

In book two, Aristotle discusses moral virtue and how it aims at the median. He says, “it is moral virtue that is concerned with

In order to answer the question ‘To what extent, and how, does ‘the doctrine of the mean’ underpin Aristotle’s account of citizen virtue?’ it is first important for me to define ‘the doctrine of the mean’ which was developed in Book II of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (II.2.1104a12-26) in the form of a medical analogy. ‘the doctrine of the mean’ is very often dismissed as being unhelpful and unfortunate by many scholars. Aristotle was an ancient philosopher who was born circa. 384. B.C. It is commonly believed that together with Socrates and Plato, he laid the foundations for today’s western philosophy. Many scholars disagree on where the name ‘Nicomachean Ethics’ comes from, as Aristotle’s father and son are both named Nicomachus, so it could be dedicated to either one. Quoted from Book II, Chapter 6 ‘So virtue is a purposive disposition, lying in a mean that is relative to us and determined by a rational principle, by that which a prudent man would use to determine it.’ This quotation aids us in in understanding Aristotle’s ‘Doctrine of the mean’ A virtue is a positive trait, which is seen to be morally proficient. Aristotle analysed virtues in two different forms, moral and intellectual. However, Aristotle refers to virtue as a ‘purposive disposition’ meaning that virtue is the incentive to point us to a virtuous lifestyle. Directly ‘the doctrine of the mean’

In our society today, we are mostly challenged by two questions: ‘is it right to do this or that? And ‘how should I be living in society?’(Bessant, 2009). Similar questions were greatly discussed in the history by our ancestors in their philosophical discussions. The most ancient and long-lasting literature on moral principles and ethics were described by Greek philosopher Aristotle. He had an excellent command on various subjects ranging from sciences to mathematics and philosophy. He was also a student of a famous philosopher. His most important study on ethics, personal morality and virtues is ‘The Nicomachean Ethics’, which has been greatly influencing works of literature in ethics and heavily read for centuries, is believed to be

In this sense, a person can do the “right” thing, but if it is not done by his own will or choice, it is not morally virtuous. The claims of Books II and III directly contradict each other. The former argues that force must play a part in the development of moral virtue, while the latter explicitly states that what is done by force is not at all morally virtuous.

There are two types of virtue and they are i) the virtue of thinking and ii) virtue of character (Aristotle). The virtue of thinking need time for cultivation and teaching and it includes elements like wisdom. On the other hand, virtue of character is a continuous thing and is acquire through practice. “The capacity of virtue is considered natural, but acquiring it is not natural”, according to Aristotle, the soul has to practice a virtuous habit. For instance, if one has a habit of making bad houses then they are poor carpenters and so is when we have a habit of doing wrong. Therefore, virtue is a matter of habit and practice. A moral failing occurs through the formation of a virtue. Here, if one is known to have a habit of doing something (say

Essentially, Aristotle argues that virtue is realized by maintaining the Mean, which is the balance between two extravagances. Aristotle’s principle of the Mean is suggestive of Buddha’s Middle Path, but there are fascinating differences. For Aristotle the unkind method of attaining virtue; for Buddhism, the Middle Path referred to a peaceful way of life which negotiated the extremes of self-discipline and physical pleasure seeking. The Middle Path was a minimal requirement for the reflective life, and not the source of virtue.

The doctrine of the mean states that for someone to be a good person they must occupy the “golden mean,” meaning a person may become virtuous by acting between the extremes of excess and deficiency. For example during war, the two extremes would be for a soldier to be rash or cowardly, but being courageous is the accepted golden mean. According to Aristotle, virtue lies in between the two extremes, which are the vices, and thus a virtuous person is one who can find the mean that is relative to his or her situation: that is the mean changes depending on the circumstances surrounding each decision. Using the previous example, a priest would never be expected to take up arms in battle, an act that would be considered cowardly in other

What constitutes as a virtue? Aristotle described virtues in relation to the mean, or average, of opposing forces. Thus, if courage is our virtue, it lies somewhere

Another part of Aristotles' theory includes the idea of virtue. From my understanding, Virtue of character has a lot to do with our actions. It looks at what makes us do what we do. He explains, “Virtue, then, is of two sorts, virtue of thought and virtue of character” (Aristotle 18). In order to reach eudaimonia, we have to act virtuously. That is done by doing the right thing and knowing that you are doing it. Virtue of character is something that we do not automatically just have. It is something that we have to work on and practice. With practice, right actions will become habits. The virtuous person is someone who does not have to think about what the right thing to do is, they just do it.