Essay Comparing Dante's Inferno And Nicomachean Ethics

How does an individual know he/she is following the right path in life to achieve happiness? Anne Frank once wrote, “Parents can only give good advice or put children on the right path, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands” (Anne Frank). Almost every parent wishes to raise a successful child so his/her child will learn how to be good, and the child will continue to teach their children how to be good as well. Aristotle believed goodness is attained through a parent and a child’s friendship. A parents role in raising a child is to love, teach, and guide a child so his/her life is good, and they will learn what virtues lead to a happy life. Another example in The Inferno, Dante meets an astonishing neo-platonic philosopher, Virgil, who guides him through good and evil to understand life on his extraordinary …show more content…
Aristotle was Plato’s student who learned from his teacher, Socrates. He became an excellent philosopher through Plato’s teachings, but was remembered for inventing modern logic by himself. Wisdom and knowledge were valued by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and in canto four, Dante revisits a place of peace, Limbo. Aristotle is present in Limbo because he wanted to allow others to explore the world, the mind, and for humans to be themselves. His values lead him to Limbo just like many other great philosophers who remained in this peaceful place. Limbo was a garden, a safe place where an individual would relax to understand that this was a place to reflect and observe other philosophers in paradise. Many of these philosophers were noble, knowledgeable, and they understood life in many different ways. The values of wisdom were taught from one philosopher to another, and in order to understand the purpose of life, a person must explore their own values on their own journey to remain in peace like