The Nicomachean Ethics And Political Philosophy Of Aristotle

The way in which Aristotle begins Nicomachean Ethics is with the statement “Every craft and every line of inquiry, and likewise every action and decision seems to seek some good.” (Aristotle Bk.1, Ch.1). This is a fitting way to begin, as it addresses exactly what the entire book hopes to convey. While at this point in the novel, readers remain unaware what the good that he is referring to means, it becomes clearer and clearer as it progresses why this is such an apt beginning. The Nicomachean Ethics is devoted to the notion that all humans are attempting to seek the ultimate end, which Aristotle describes as happiness, or the Good. If, as he says, everything we do in life is to seek some good, then each action or decision we make brings us closer to the ultimate end.

In order to be a person of practical wisdom one should possess good moral reasoning and good inclinations. Aristotle first introduces these concepts in his book The Nicomachean Ethics, but he does not mention a really important virtue, the virtue of forgiveness. If mastered correctly, forgiveness can lead a person to acquire additional, and equally important good habits. That is why, in order to recognize the importance of this virtue, it is necessary to make a deep expository analysis.

It is believed that he was born in circa 435 BCE in Northern Africa, later moving to Athens. He believed the purpose of life was to enjoy pleasure. It is rumored that he did not care what others thought, even if it went against cultural norms. He was known for keeping the company of prostitutes and was also accused of leaving his infant son to die to which he responded, that he had no need for something that was of no use to him (O’Keefe). As was the custom at the time, philosophers taught for free; however, many felt that Aristippus betrayed Socrates, because he was the first to charge a fee for his teachings. His followers started a school called Cyrenaic, based on Aristippus’ teachings (Mark,

Near the end of the second book in The Politics, Aristotle begins to examine a number of regimes that deviate from what he considers to be the best. Of the five political systems, two are idealized and respond to what their creators believe to be the major problems in society. These issues restrain the people, in their current predicaments, from truly experiencing their greatest possible life. Though Phaleas of Chalcedon and Hippodamus of Miletus each mold their cities into what they think will fix the ills present in their current world, they overlook major stepping stones in the way that human nature and political life function in the real world. According to Aristotle, not only do both of these ideal cities go against what he believes is the best regime, the flaws present in

During the Classical Period, 500-232 BCE, Greece was at the peak of its political and cultural achievement. This was also a time of war, most noteworthy being the vast empire created by Alexander the Great. In a period containing such an immense amount of historical significance there is no doubting that it had influenced the people born. Notorious philosopher Aristotle is no exception, contributing a great deal to the fields of mathematics, biology and ethics. His book titled Nicomachean Ethics contains his views on the ethics of mankind and how they can be applied on a daily basis. This essay will look critically at how the historical events that took place during the Classical Period may have influenced Aristotle’s work.

Aristotle provides the teleological approach of how to live well in his collection of lectures, Nicomachean Ethics. In Book II of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents his definition of virtue in which it is "a kind of mean" (N.E. 129). According to Aristotle, moral virtue is a means to an end, happiness. By using Sophocles's Antigone, I will support Aristotle's theory of virtue in which he reasons it to be a state of character between two extremes. A virtue that remains relevant today as it did during Aristotle's era is that of courage. By using Aristotle's account on what represents the virtue of courage, I will demonstrate how it could be applied to the dilemma the characters of Antigone encounter. Even his definition of justice is

First to be explored is Aristotle’s Politics. It this work, Aristotle portrays man as an inherently political animal, with logos and the ability to distinguish injustice from justice. He purports that the purpose of humanity within nature is to live together and seek justice. Since human beings live as political animals, the polis arises naturally. The purpose of the polis is not merely to help humans live, but to help them live well, as morally sound, well educated citizens (Nederman 287).

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discussed his theory of happiness and attempted to answer the many questions related to what makes people happy. Questions asked were “What is the purpose of human existence?” “What is the end goal we are trying to achieve so that we know how we should conduct ourselves?” With so many people seeking pleasure through a variety of means such a wealth, reputation, personal belongings and friends, they may be missing the mark when it comes to happiness. While these each have a value attached to them, none of them contains what is truly needed to be described as the “good” we should be aiming toward. According to Aristotle, to be an ultimate end, an act must be self-sufficient and final, “that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else” (Nicomachean Ethics, 1097a30-34)

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (Ethics) is regarded as one of the, if not the greatest work concerning ethics in history. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos, which translates more properly as “character”, and it would seem that Aristotle’s concern in The Ethics, is what constitutes good character, and that goodness is of practical use; that merely knowing how to be a way is only half of what’s necessary, and that the known must be practiced. A related treatise, The Politics, is often regarded as the sequel to The Ethics, in part because Aristotle closes The Ethics by saying that his ethical inquiry has arranged the foundation for an inquiry into political questions. (Reeve. Page 194.) As such, Aristotle regarded ethics and politics as two separate but related fields, giving way to the idea that ethics surveys the good of the individual, while politics examines the good of the city-state (polis), but also that the good of the individual is secondary to the good of the city-state.

Happiness is often thought to be an emotional state that results from anything a person does or observes that they approve of or consider positive or pleasant. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that true human happiness is much more than a temporary state of wellbeing, as humans are not satisfied by the pleasantries or conditions that satisfy other animals. Through virtuous activity and virtuous friendships, people are constantly trying to perfect themselves in order to achieve some greater good. This good, Aristotle reasons, must be an end within itself, and the ultimate end of human activity. Therefore, happiness for Aristotle is the final goal and the perfection of human existence, and it depends on a lifetime of virtuous activity.

In Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, Aristotle attempts to lay out a code of ethics. Instead of providing a set of rules on how people should behave, he contrarily focuses on the type of person people should become. Essentially, Aristotle is attempting to, not only provide philosophy, but practical advice. In book three of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores the concept of moral virtue as a conscious choice by defining and describing the differences between voluntary and involuntary actions. However, as he defines and describes the differences between voluntary and involuntary actions, he realizes that it would be difficult to decide how far one would have to go in choosing to do a given act rather than enduring a given penalty. Thus, he

By virtue of establishing the partnerships as natural, Aristotle is successful in asserting that the political is fundamental to human nature and in order for individuals to experience the good life they must be members of the city (1253a20). To back this claim, Aristotle uses a metaphor of the city as the body and the citizen as the limb and argues that comparable to the limbs separating from the body, the individual is not self sufficient when separated from the city and therefore possesses a natural impulse towards creating and remaining in the polis (1253a25). Furthermore, Aristotle supports this claim by contending the “one who is in need of nothing through being self sufficient is no part of a city and so is either a beast or a god”(1253a27). As a result, all individuals need the city to achieve the good life, and if they do not need the city they are not

Households (or families) are one of the key elements of society for both Aristotle and Plato. Family is the first form in society of association between men as it answers man’s natural needs, and instincts. As Aristotle explains, the coupling “which necessity gives rise [to] is that between those who are unable to exist without one another,” in other words man is a being that is, by nature, social and political. Association is a natural phenomenon, which declines in interdependent forms such as the family, the village, and finally the city. However, it would be an error to assume that each form is not fundamentally different from one another. In Politics, Aristotle criticizes Plato’s assumption that a city must strive to be a unit, because “beyond a certain point, city will be reduced to family and family to individual.” [Book II, 1261a] Indeed, if a city state were to strive towards unity it would resemble a household, since he holds the household to be of higher degree in unity, but by assumption, a city state is different that a household.

In Book I of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that the ultimate human goal or end is happiness. Aristotle describes the steps required for humans to obtain happiness. Aristotle states that activity is an important requirement of happiness. He states that a happy person cannot be inactive. He then goes on to say that living a life of virtue is something pleasurable in itself. The virtuous person takes pleasure in doing virtuous things. The role of virtue is an important one for Aristotle. Without virtue, it seems one cannot obtain happiness. Virtue acts as a linking factor to happiness.

Nicomachean ethics is the name of Aristotle’s work on ethics based on his lectures. It is said that Nicomachean ethics were named after either Aristotle’s father or son , as they were both named Nicomachus. Aristotle believed that happiness is what makes a person pure. To prove his point, Aristotle believed that there were four moral virtues that worked together; the virtue of great soul, the virtue of justice, the virtue of practical judgment and the virtue of being a truly good friend. Ten books have been written from Aristotle’s lecture notes.