Aristotle and the Good Life

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Aristotle and the Good Life
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The Good
When a thing has a proper operation, the good of
the thing and its well-being consist in that
operation
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The Good
A good computer is one that functions well.
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A good saw cuts well
A good plant acts according to its nature
(functions well). Grows, reproduces, nourishes
itself.
A good dog functions well
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A good man functions well Mans specific
operation (function) Intellect (to
think) Will (to choose)
Hence, a good man reasons well and chooses well.
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Happiness (Eudaimonia)
Every Agent Acts for an End (Final Cause)
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Earlier Questions
If it is possible to achieve everything that one
has set out to achieve in life and in the end
find oneself unhappy, then does it not follow
that happiness is not necessarily doing what you
want to do?
If it is possible to have a wife/husband,
children, house, and a good job, and at the same
time still be unhappy, does it not follow that
happiness is not necessarily having a
wife/husband, children, house, and a good job?
Yes, it follows with irrefutable logic
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Not something that comes from the outside in
What then is happiness?
Happiness
Not something that comes from the outside in
Rather, happiness is an inside job
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Happiness is an activity, not a passivity
Chosen, not determined
Happiness (eudaimonia)
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Socrates happiness is the perfection of the
soul. In other words, happiness is goodness,
virtue.
Aristotle partly true. Happiness is the
perfection of the highest powers in man, as well
as the lower powers. It is the perfection of the
intellect, the will, as well as the perfection of
the concupiscible and irascible appetites.
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Happiness Activity in accordance with perfect
virtue
Why?
Because virtue perfects the powers of the soul.
In other words, virtue disposes the powers of the
soul to their proper activity.
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If happiness is the fulfillment of human nature,
what is the highest power in human nature?
Reason (intelligence)
All men by nature desire to know.
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Supreme End (Good)
Knowing the highest things
Theoretical Contemplation
...the activity of our intelligence constitutes
the complete happiness of man,...So if it is true
that intelligence is divine in comparison with
man, then a life guided by intelligence is divine
in comparison with human life. We must not follow
those who advise us to have human thoughts, since
we are only men, and mortal thoughts, as mortals
should on the contrary, we should try to become
immortal as far as that is possible and do our
utmost to live in accordance with what is highest
in us.
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The human person must strive to know, to develop
his mind, to enjoy the contemplation of truth
But man is not a separate substance (pure
form). Man is a rational animal.
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Concupiscible appetite
Sense appetites
Pleasure appetite
Irascible appetite
Aggressive appetite
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Concupiscible Appetite
Sense appetite whose object is the sensible
good.
Gives rise to the emotions of love, desire,
satisfaction, sorrow
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Irascible Appetite
Sense appetite whose object is the difficult
sensible good or difficult sensible evil.
Gives rise to emotions of daring, hope, despair.
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Irascible Appetite
Sense appetite whose object is the difficult
sensible good or difficult sensible evil.
Gives rise to the emotions of fear, daring, anger
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Sometime the appetites rebel against reason
I.e., The person who easily gives up when
things become difficult. The person who runs
when there is danger. The person who cannot hold
a job because he has no self-control over
alcoholic drink. The person who has no control
over his sexual appetite, and so can think of
nothing other than sex.
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The good life begins by bringing order (proper
form) to ones life.
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Disorder
Concupiscible appetite
Irascible appetite
Intellect Will
Bestial
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Ordered Life
Reason
Will
Concupiscible appetite
Irascible appetite
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The Kalon (the morally beautiful)
The morally right The noble The good The
beautiful
The happy man is the noble man. Noble (kalon)
attractive, morally beautiful, virtuous.
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Beautiful (Nobel) Character
The Intellectual Virtues Wisdom, Science,
Understanding.
The Moral Virtues
The Intellect The Will The irascible
appetite The concupiscible appetite
Prudence Practical Wisdom
Justice
Fortitude
Temperance
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Why is this more in accordance with the facts?
Its not having a wife/husband, children, house,
and a good job that will make one happy, since
many who have such things remain unhappy.
Only a virtuous person will be able to be a good
husband/wife, a good parent, and a person
committed to the good of the state.
It isnt doing what you want that renders one
happy, but willing the good, the noble, the
beautiful, I.e good character.
It is impossible for a virtuous person
(character) to be unhappy
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The VirtuesA Mean Between Two Extremes
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Modesty
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Immodesty
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Justice The constant will to render to another
that which is due to him or her.
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Inordinate love of possessing
The proper and reasonable stewardship of excess
riches
Spending money on the flesh that leads one to
take no pleasure in virtue
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The virtue of speaking and acting in accord with
truth. We have a moral debt to express ourselves
truthfully.
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Vindication the virtue by which one, in
conformity with relevant circumstances, observes
due measure in meting out punishment to one who
has committed some moral offense. It is willing
of punishment for the sake of preserving the just
order and restraining evildoers.
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Affability the virtue by which one promotes and
maintains agreeable relations in social life. It
is a friendliness, an establishment of cordial
relations with others (not the same as
friendship).
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The virtue inclining the will to correct law when
law fails to apply in particular instances.
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The Most Important Virtues Allied with Justice

• Veneration (Observance) The virtue by which we
  show honor and respect to persons who are in a
  position of dignity and/or authority. Ie,
  Leaders of State, Court Justices, teacher,
  vice-principal, principal, police officer, etc.,.

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The Most Important Virtues Allied with Justice

• Religion The habit of rendering in some way what
  is due to God (Aristotle the gods).
• external acts sacrifice
• internal acts prayer

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The Most Important Virtues Allied with Justice

• Piety that part of justice by which we render
  due honour and worship to parents and country, as
  well as ancestors (those who have gone before us,
  leaving us the goods they worked to achieve).

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Prudence
The intellectual/moral virtue which rightly
directs particular human acts, through rightly
ordered appetite, toward a good end.

• A prudent man does not merely know what is good.
  He is above all one who does the good.

Right appetite is thus part and parcel of
prudence. Ie., one who does not will justice
cannot be prudent.
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Universal principles
certainty Particular situations
less certain
Requiring a special virtue, an intellectual/moral
virtue (requiring right appetite)
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Integral Parts of Prudence
Memory Understanding of first principles Docility
Shrewdness Discursive Reasoning Foresight Circumsp
ection Caution
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Integral Parts of Prudence Memory
An inability to learn from experience, to reflect
upon the past in order to better understand the
present.
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Integral Parts of Prudence Understanding of
first principles
Good is to be done, evil is to be avoided Do not
do to another what you do not like One ought not
to do evil that good may come of it One ought to
speak the truth. One ought not to kill.
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Integral Parts of Prudence Docility
The recognition of ones finitude and need for
advice. The ability to learn from others, to
seek out and accept their advice. An
open-mindedness
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Integral Parts of Prudence Shrewdnesssolertia
Clear-sighted objectivity in unexpected
circumstances The ability to quickly size up a
situation Intuitive.
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Secondary Instances of the Kalon
The good life also includes secondary aspects
that add to the happy life. They do not
constitute the happy life, but they add to it.
Many people today confuse the secondary instances
of the Kalon with the primary. Happiness is
found in virtue, not in these secondary instances.
See Next Slide
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Friendship and Cooperation with Others
Pleasure
Good Health and Appearance
Respectable Family Origin
Proper Nourishment and Sustenance
Full Life Span
Leisure, good fortune Sufficient wealth
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Friendship
Friendship based on utility I.e., between
business partners. The other is loved for the
benefits that accrue to me. Friendship based
on pleasure I.e, between two people who find
each other physically attractive. This ends when
the thrill and novelty wears off (gets old). The
other is loved for what he or she does for me.
Friendship based on virtue (benevolence) This
loved is based on character. The other is loved
because his character is noble. The other is
loved for his/her own sake, not for my sake.
This is the only genuine and lasting friendship.