Comparing Aristotle's Views On Honor And Virtue

The ancient Greeks, were a society based on honor and virtue. Great philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle still have a huge significance today in society. They argued that the best life for humans beings is a life devoted to “virtue”, but just how much of that is true and how is that reflected today in our society? Plato, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle thought that what is morally good is whatever promotes “virtue” which is a certain health, beauty and good condition in the soul. He believed in complete harmony of the soul, and only then would a person be completely virtuous. He defined harmony as “every part performing its own function” desire taking care of basic needs, but nothing more, emotion being rationally controlled resulting in a courageous person who controls desire. He believed …show more content…
Some pros of their views is that the just life is always better than the unjust life. Meaning when a human acts right not on feelings but on what is truly right, they will live a much happier life compared to if they act on what is not right. According to them one is worse off from evil action, it is better if one is evil to be caught and punished because that will return you to yourself to freedom and reason. Another pro to their views is simply that once a person does reach harmony they have reached happiness, for example if one has fear about a certain thing, but then faces it head on and overcomes that fear. It brings satisfaction and true happiness. Therefore if you look at the bigger picture once, one overcomes these imbalances in their life, they will reach happiness, this is otherwise know as the transition from Vice to Virtue. Another pro of their views is that, it controls want and self intrest. Humans who act only by want cannot achieve virtue because true justice is only found by what is moraly right and not by what one wants or what they think is