Maimonides Fifth Chapter Analysis

Maimonides’ Fifth Chapter Maimonides’ describes the characteristics of a prophetic follower of God in his Eight Chapters. In Chapter Five, Maimonides argues specifically what makes a human being in the proper sense as aiming to do what is useful to a human, instead of what is pleasant, on the basis of reasoning. Maimonides’ opinion also implies moral and intellectual virtues of a man are concerned, along with the relativity to the unity of the human soul, with the moderation necessary for a human to be in the proper sense. Maimonides argues creating a human being in the proper sense would have the human aiming to do only actions necessary for survival instead of indulging in pleasurable activities. Everything a proper man does must be for the greater good, not purely for contentment. Maimonides states choosing pleasure over sensibility makes man and beast equal; the only true separation from men and animals is the choice and capacity to use reason to support a soul which chooses principle over senseless enjoyment. The purpose of …show more content…
The moral habits which accompany moral virtue are a form of purification for the soul, which is achievable by choosing to live moderately, therefore being a parallel to the requirements of being in the proper sense. A moral habit is a habit of living within means a person’s capability, without living in severity of either extremes of restriction or indulgence. When such moderation is achieved, one can begin to practice moral practices. The proper sense of a human being relates to the issues of intellectual virtue as intellect gives a person his human character. A person living in the proper sense of moderation is capable of intellectual virtue because the mind and soul is no longer tainted with the effects of extremities and is able to be pure in his