nicomachaean ethics and politics
TRANSCRIPT
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Ethics- is a study of the character of
human beings rests, as do allenquiries into human beings are to
behave, on a particular
understanding of what a human
being is.
- It is how individuals can become
excellent or can evaluate excellence.
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HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AS TELEOLOGICAL
ACTIVITY
Every art or applied science and every
systematic investigation, and similarlyevery action and choice, seem to aim at
some good; the good therefore, has
been well defined at that at which allthings aim (1094a)
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EUDAIMONIA
This final goal he identifies on
the basis on the basis of anappeal to experience as
eudaimonia, a wordtraditionally translated as
happiness (1097)
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THE FUNCTION (ERGON)
The proper function of man,
then, consists in an activity ofthe soul in conformity with a
rational principle, or, at least,not without it (1098a).
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THE DOCTRINE OF
MEAN
moral qualities.are
destroyed by defectand by excess (35)
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PRACTICAL WISDOM
(PHRONESIS)
a mean defined by a rationalprinciple, such as man of
practical wisdom would useto determine it (1106b)
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Range of Intellectual Skills
1.The moral person must be able to
evaluate a particular situation, torecognize it for what it is and in
relation to any actions which he orshe might undertake to respond to it.
2.The moral person must have been
able to work out through reasom
some knowledge of the overall good
as such.
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3. The moral person must be able to
understand the various goods
appropriate to his or her situationand stage of life.
4. The moral person must be able toreason from the general notion of the
good as such(Point 2) to a conclusion
about the specific range of goods
immediately to be achieved in the
present situation.
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5. Practical wisdom is the ability to
organize and use this differential
intellectual abilities and thus to select theright means for the attainment of the
appropriate goals and to issue commands
for action.
6. Almost as an afterthought, the notion
of cleverness, the ability to performthose steps which are conducive to a goal
we have set for ourselves and to attain
that goal (169).
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7. This form of reasoning can only
take place in a systematic form of
activity in which there is a shared
sense of roles and actions
recognized to be ordered accordingto their relative goodness, so that
one does not have a bewilderingarray of competing goods.
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THE PRACTICAL SYLLOGISM
Major Premise: The good life for me, which is my
overall goal, means that in situation X, virtue requires
me to do Y (my education, my observation of those
people famous for their virtue, and the habits I have
acquired over time).
Minor Premise: What I am faced with now is situation
X( this is from the analytical skills I have acquired inexperience and from education).
Conclusion: Therefore virtue requires that in this
situation I choose to do Y.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING
HIERARCHY OF VIRTUE
1.Excellent characters aim at the good anddesire the good; the decision making is thus
free from tension.
2.Strong characters aim at the good but desire
the bad; their decision making is thus marked
by conflict.
3.Weak characters aim at the good but desire
the bad.
4.The worst characters aim at the bad and
desire the bad.
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SIGNIFICANCE/IMPACT
1.Aristotle stressed on the
community as the basis for our
sense of good life.
2.Practical observations and
experiences (especially of role
models)
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PROBLEMS/ISSUES
1. Aristotle did not clarify the human
function and what is something uniquelyabout human function.
2. Some interpreters suggest that the mainemphasis in the Ethics in not strictly on what
we might consider ethics and more on
success:
3. Aristotle did not gave his exact definition
of ractical wisdom.
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COMMENTS:
1. Aristotles importance of practical
experience makes sense to me inanchoring my moral values.
2. His concept of a team player with a team
behavior can give us opportunity toevaluate our actions in a given situation
and select the most appropriate choice.
3. Aristotles most important influence is to
EDUCATE the people and produce
EDUCATED CITIZENS.
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CITIZENSHIP- Holding of public office and administration of
justice.
CORRECT DEVIANT
ONE RULER KINGSHIP TYRANNY
FEW RULERS ARISTOCRACY OLIGARCHY
MANY RULERS POLITY DEMOCRACY
SIX KINDS OF CONSTITUTION
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PRINCIPLES OF DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE-
benefits should be conferred upon
different citizens differently
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.The greatest tension in any state is the
mutual resentment between the rich and
the poor.2.Strong middle class keeps the state in
balance and guards against corruption
and oppression.
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THREE BRANCHES OF CIVIC
GOVERNMENT
DELIBERATIVE- makes the major
political decisions of the state.EXECUTIVE runs the day-to-day
business of the state.JUDICIAL oversees legal affairs of
the state.
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WHAT MAKES AN IDEAL STATE?
1.City-state should be arranged to
maximize the happiness of its citizen.2.Should be located by the water.
3.Young citizens serve in the military,
middle-aged citizens govern, oldercitizens take care of religious affairs,
noncitizen laborers take care of farming
and crafts.
4.Education is important to ensuring the
well-being of the city.
SIGNIFICANCE/INFLUENCE
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SIGNIFICANCE/INFLUENCE:
1. Deep influence on political philosophy until today.
1.1 role of human nature in politics
1.2 relation of the individual to the state1.3 place of morality in politics
1.4 theory of political justice
1.5 the rule of law
1.6 analysis and evaluation of constitutions
1.7 relevance of ideals to practical politics
1.8 the causes and cures of political change and
revolution1.9 the importance of a morally educated citizenry
2. Unifying a community
3. Distributive Justice
4. The Written Law
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PROBLEMS/ISSUES:
1.Aristotle frequently compares
the politician to a craftsman.
2.There is absence of individualfreedom and the protection of
a citizens private life from thepublic eye.
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COMMENTS:
1.Aristotle is unconcerned thatthe rich have all the
opportunity to achieve merit.2.He endorse slavery and yet
he opposes the enslavementof other Greeks.