The Status of Virtue: An Examination of the Hierarchy of the moral virtues presented in the Nicomach

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The Status of Virtue An Examination of the
Hierarchy of the moral virtues presented in the
Nicomachean Ethics

• Tim Gabe
• McNair Scholars Program
• Mentor Larry Peterman, Ph.D.
• Classics Department of Political Science
• University of California, Davis

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INTRODUCTION

• Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle
• Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics
• Saint Thomas Aquinas
• It is believed that there is a hierarchy to the
  moral virtues.
• First five moral virtues. Bks III IV
• Hypothesis
• There is a hierarchy to the moral virtues.

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RELEVANCE

• Aristotle
• Virtues and vices are products of habit and are
  changeable.
• Education is of supreme importance.
• Lack of education about the nature of right and
  wrong constitutes a bad state.
• An understanding of virtue is important so that
  is can be taught and applied.

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BACKGROUND

• Definition of virtue. h areth
• Definition of moral virtues.
• Courage o andreio?
• Temperance h swfrosunh
• Liberality o eleuqepio?
• Munificence o megalopreph?
• Magnanimity h megaloyucia
• Virtue as a continuum.

Vice of excess
Virtue
Vice of deficiency
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THE MORAL VIRTUES AND VICES

• Rashness Courage
  Cowardice
• o andreio?
• Profligacy Temperance
  Insensibility
• h swfrosunh
• Prodigality Liberality
  Meanness
• o eleuqepio?
• Vulgarity Munificence
  Paltriness
• o megalopreph?
• Vanity Magnanimity
  Small-Souled
• h megaloyucia

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ANALYSIS

• Irrational
• Courage
• Temperance
• Rational
• Liberality
• Munificence
• Magnanimity
• Broad to particular

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PROBLEMS

• Aristotle's layout of the virtues.
• He followed Platos layout of the virtues in the
  republic.
• Is there any real order to Aristotles layout to
  the virtues?

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SUMMARY

• Virtue
• Definition
• Particular virtues
• Analysis
• Irrational
• Rational B
• Broad to particular
• Problems
• Layout

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CONCLUSION

• Preliminary analysis shows that there is a
  hierarchy amongst the first five of the moral
  virtues present in the Nicomachean Ethics.
• An understanding of virtue is important so that
  is can be taught and applied.

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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

• Further examination of commentaries on the
  ethics.
• Analysis of secondary sources
• Study of other relevant texts by Plato and
  Aristotle.

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ACKNOWLEDMENTS/REFERENCES

• Special thanks to
• My mentor Larry Peterman
• Everyone at the McNair Scholars Program
• References
• H. Rackham, The Nicomachean Ethics
• St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Nicomachean
  Ethics

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The Status of Virtue An Examination of the
Hierarchy of the moral virtues presented in the
Nicomachean Ethics

• Tim Gabe
• McNair Scholars Program
• Mentor Larry Peterman, Ph.D.
• Classics Department of Political Science
• University of California, Davis