The Essence of Evil(New title Needed) In both Phaedo and Nicomachean Ethics, philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, respectively, are concerned with the concept of pleasure and how pleasure ultimately affects their end goals. While Plato is more interested in the negative aspects pleasure can bring into life, Aristotle writes both about the favorable and unfavorable facets of pleasure. To begin my argument, I will first explain Plato’s account of what he deems “the greatest and worst of all evils” and how he comes to that conclusion (Plato, 17). Next, I will focus on the Aristotelian account of pleasure and its relation to what the philosopher believes is the ideal life. Then, I will show why Plato would partially agree and disagree to Aristotle’s
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While Plato views pleasures as wholly negative, Aristotle has a much more nuanced view of pleasure and pain. He determines that there are good and bad pleasures — such as morbid pleasures or the excess of bodily goods(Aristotle, 1149a5-20;1147b24-30). Good pleasures, for Aristotle, are very much intertwined with the idea of happiness as he says “also we assume that happiness must contain an admixture of pleasure; now activity in accordance with (-- removed HTML --) wisdom is admittedly the most pleasant of the virtuous activities” (Aristotle, 1177a23-25). Happiness, according to Aristotle, is the supreme good in life (Aristotle, 1095a15-20). Aristotle argues that since “happiness is an activity in accordance with virtue, it is reasonable to assume that it is in accordance with the highest virtue, and this will be the virtue of the best part of us” (Aristotle, 1177a12-15). Thus, since happiness is intertwined with the highest virtue which is contemplation which is in accordance with the intellect — “since the intellect is the highest thing in us” — and because it is the most continuous activity since we are capable more of continuous contemplation than of any other activity” (Aristotle, 1177a20-23). He later expounds upon this point of happiness being conjoined with contemplation when he says “happiness, then, is co-extensive with contemplation, and the more people contemplate, the happier they are...in virtue of their contemplation...thus happiness is a form of contemplation” (Aristotle, 1178b29-232). The intellect is the highest thing in us because the human function is to reason. Aristotle reaches this conclusion by saying that everything has a function and uses the example of a flautist to say that “his goodness and proficiency are considered to lie in his function” (Aristotle, 1097b25-18). In order for something to be good for a thing it has to be
While Plato views pleasures as wholly negative, Aristotle has a much more nuanced view of pleasure and pain. He determines that there are good and bad pleasures — such as morbid pleasures or the excess of bodily goods(Aristotle, 1149a5-20;1147b24-30). Good pleasures, for Aristotle, are very much intertwined with the idea of happiness as he says “also we assume that happiness must contain an admixture of pleasure; now activity in accordance with (-- removed HTML --) wisdom is admittedly the most pleasant of the virtuous activities” (Aristotle, 1177a23-25). Happiness, according to Aristotle, is the supreme good in life (Aristotle, 1095a15-20). Aristotle argues that since “happiness is an activity in accordance with virtue, it is reasonable to assume that it is in accordance with the highest virtue, and this will be the virtue of the best part of us” (Aristotle, 1177a12-15). Thus, since happiness is intertwined with the highest virtue which is contemplation which is in accordance with the intellect — “since the intellect is the highest thing in us” — and because it is the most continuous activity since we are capable more of continuous contemplation than of any other activity” (Aristotle, 1177a20-23). He later expounds upon this point of happiness being conjoined with contemplation when he says “happiness, then, is co-extensive with contemplation, and the more people contemplate, the happier they are...in virtue of their contemplation...thus happiness is a form of contemplation” (Aristotle, 1178b29-232). The intellect is the highest thing in us because the human function is to reason. Aristotle reaches this conclusion by saying that everything has a function and uses the example of a flautist to say that “his goodness and proficiency are considered to lie in his function” (Aristotle, 1097b25-18). In order for something to be good for a thing it has to be