Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

A detailed Summary of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, he expresses his opinions on the basis of thought through eudaimonia and arete. Eudaimonia is the goal of human conduct, or telos in Greek. In English, Eudaimonia translates into happiness, but Aristotle uses it as a well being through prospering and flourishing. To achieve this "prospering and flourishing," one needs satisfaction of a job well done. Arete is excellence in fulfilling a function, also known as an ergon. Aristotle finds arete, or a virtue in all objects, animate and inanimate. Aristotle explains his view of the "chief good" throughout the Doctrine of the Mean, through the comparing and contrasting of virtues and vices.

Aristotle begins Nicomachean Ethics with an explanation of the "chief good." This good is presented by him through thoughts and theories of the Doctrine of the Mean. He states that all men who are in search of the good and knowledge of "the good" have a profound influence on life. He then writes how a good man, sets goals for himself on a specific task. This experience in the function of the task gives self satisfaction. An example used by Aristotle is a sculptor who participates in the art of sculpting. The end resul

Aristotle's view in the Doctrine of the Mean on human virtue is split into two parts; intellectual and moral virtue. Intellectual virtue is birth and growth through teaching, experience, and time. Moral virtue comes as a result of habitual activities. He explains that there are three rules of moral virtue. The first is that man can change desires but it is not a characteristic that is instinctive, rather it is accomplished through learning. The next rule is that if desires are regulated too severly or not severly enough then a problem may come up. The third rule, in which Aristotle speaks of, is that character traits are equal to desire. It has nothing to do with nature in the respect that nature cannot form habits. We as a people are adapted by nature to receive desires and they are perfected through habitual practice. Aristotle explains that it is through practice that men become good or bad at a subject. He uses an example of a builder. A builder becomes one by building, through this the man realizes whether he is a good or bad builder. If this were not true, Aristotle says that there would be no need for teachers and that people would be born good or bad at a trade.

t of his sculpting is a beautiful piece of artwork. This proves that the function done by the sculptor makes him satisfied in performing the action. The final result is the "chief good" which is sought out by the man who is doing the activity. Aristotle believes that since the activity culminates the soul, it will have an end result in making the soul happy.

Aristotle concludes by stating that one is always searching to reach the highest degree of excellence and once reached it is the equivelent to arete. This then leads man towards Eudaimonia. I completely agre

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Category: History