Aristotle and John Stuart Mill were great philosophers of their respective times. However, their individual approaches to ethics were different from each other. This paper will highlight the similarities and differences between these two men’s approaches towards cheating. Cheating involves one committing a dishonest action in order to gain some sort of advantage. In order to clearly layout each philosopher’s general ideas, a specific example must be given. The particular example of cheating is as follows: a college student has a final paper due but is unable to write it so they decide to purchase a paper online that someone else wrote. This type of cheating in which the student did not do their own work is never morally permissible. For Aristotle,
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According to Aristotle, happiness is “complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of things achievable in action” (I.7, pg. 8). This definition means that all actions lead to a specific and goal-oriented end but not all actions will end in happiness. The only end that can lead to happiness is an action which is the result of an activity (I.1, pg.1). Happiness is achieved through learning, obtaining, and maintaining one’s virtues of character and intellect. One develops virtues of intellect through teaching. These type of virtues are within our own minds but they are dormant until one is trained to use them properly. Virtues of character are naturally within us but they need to be cultivated through habit. Virtues of character require correct reason which is taught by a teacher. Once one’s correct reason is formed they are able to judge the mean of two extremes which are excess and deficiency thus helping them compensate for their “natural tendencies toward different goals” and direct them towards virtuous actions (II.9, pg. 29). By understanding this concept, one is able to determine the mean of a particular situation and keep their weaknesses into to account in order to make the most virtuous
According to Aristotle, happiness is “complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of things achievable in action” (I.7, pg. 8). This definition means that all actions lead to a specific and goal-oriented end but not all actions will end in happiness. The only end that can lead to happiness is an action which is the result of an activity (I.1, pg.1). Happiness is achieved through learning, obtaining, and maintaining one’s virtues of character and intellect. One develops virtues of intellect through teaching. These type of virtues are within our own minds but they are dormant until one is trained to use them properly. Virtues of character are naturally within us but they need to be cultivated through habit. Virtues of character require correct reason which is taught by a teacher. Once one’s correct reason is formed they are able to judge the mean of two extremes which are excess and deficiency thus helping them compensate for their “natural tendencies toward different goals” and direct them towards virtuous actions (II.9, pg. 29). By understanding this concept, one is able to determine the mean of a particular situation and keep their weaknesses into to account in order to make the most virtuous