A2. To live a good life it is necessary to live a life that is full of meaning and of virtue; Aristotle’s belief in this is evident in his writings. He believed that a life lived in excess or in deprivation were not good lives, but one would have to keep a balance in order to live a life of worth. This is the mean according to Aristotle and for one to better understand his idea of the mean one must analyze certain themes and topics found in his texts. One must first comprehend his idea of how good is final and self-sufficient. After grasping the relation of good as final and self-sufficient, one must be able to identify the mean and how it interacts with being a virtuous person.
Aristotle believed that there is an ultimate end or good to everything. He uses the arts as an example and explains how the ultimate end to medicine is to create health and that of strategy is to create victory (Nicomachean Ethics 941). There might be certain benefits from medicine, …show more content…
First one must understand what the mean is and then it will be evident to how this relates to whether a person is virtuous or not. The mean according to Aristotle is a midpoint, where there is neither excess nor deficiency it is an equal point between the two. Moral virtue is concerned with emotions and actions, the purpose of virtue is to find a midpoint, to reach the median; therefore moral virtue is concerned with finding the midpoint (concerning emotions and actions) (958). According to Aristotle experiencing emotions correctly (in other words at the right time, towards the right objects and people, for the right reason and in the right way) demonstrates virtue in a person (958). Aristotle uses the analogy between being virtuous with hitting a target; it is easy to miss a target, but hard to hit it (958-959). Being virtuous is similar, now that it is easy to be bad person but difficult to be a good one
Aristotle believed that there is an ultimate end or good to everything. He uses the arts as an example and explains how the ultimate end to medicine is to create health and that of strategy is to create victory (Nicomachean Ethics 941). There might be certain benefits from medicine, …show more content…
First one must understand what the mean is and then it will be evident to how this relates to whether a person is virtuous or not. The mean according to Aristotle is a midpoint, where there is neither excess nor deficiency it is an equal point between the two. Moral virtue is concerned with emotions and actions, the purpose of virtue is to find a midpoint, to reach the median; therefore moral virtue is concerned with finding the midpoint (concerning emotions and actions) (958). According to Aristotle experiencing emotions correctly (in other words at the right time, towards the right objects and people, for the right reason and in the right way) demonstrates virtue in a person (958). Aristotle uses the analogy between being virtuous with hitting a target; it is easy to miss a target, but hard to hit it (958-959). Being virtuous is similar, now that it is easy to be bad person but difficult to be a good one