In the world of ethics, there lies principles on which to live life by. Among these principles come the great philosophers that created them. Philosophers such as Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. Along with their corresponding theories of Virtue, Nonconsequentialism, and Utilitarianism. These theories have such shaped the world ethics since creation and have continued to influence thinkers even today. Theories such as those mentioned are still being discusses and analyzed now. They still effect the way thinkers come across ethics good or bad. The topic I chose to discuss is an excerpt from Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. The excerpt of Nicomachean Ethics contains two books with seven chapters in the first and nine chapter
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That one can’t live their life without exhibiting some form of virtue in one way or another. What is virtue? That’s the ultimate question Aristotle deciphers, as he firsts breaks it down into three parts passions, faculties, and states of character (150). The idea of virtue can’t be all three of these parts so it can only be one. Aristotle tries to find the part it is most closely related to. First, he compares virtues to passions. Passions such as appetite, anger, joy, envy, and any feeling that deals with pleasure and pain (150). Feelings such as these can make a person too weak or too strong depending on how they feel, so they can’t be virtues. These passions give people a choice whether to be good or bad, mad or sad. One can have a choice of these feelings, which can ultimately control them. For this reason, a virtue cannot be a faculty, as it gives someone a choice of being bad or good. Now we have two concepts down, all that’s left is state of character. Virtue and state of character are two concepts that go hand in hand. As they’re both traits at which you can’t control. One cannot control the virtues of their lives, it’s just who they are. As for state of character, your character is what makes a person who they, they might be able to change certain aspects but ultimately the person is still the
That one can’t live their life without exhibiting some form of virtue in one way or another. What is virtue? That’s the ultimate question Aristotle deciphers, as he firsts breaks it down into three parts passions, faculties, and states of character (150). The idea of virtue can’t be all three of these parts so it can only be one. Aristotle tries to find the part it is most closely related to. First, he compares virtues to passions. Passions such as appetite, anger, joy, envy, and any feeling that deals with pleasure and pain (150). Feelings such as these can make a person too weak or too strong depending on how they feel, so they can’t be virtues. These passions give people a choice whether to be good or bad, mad or sad. One can have a choice of these feelings, which can ultimately control them. For this reason, a virtue cannot be a faculty, as it gives someone a choice of being bad or good. Now we have two concepts down, all that’s left is state of character. Virtue and state of character are two concepts that go hand in hand. As they’re both traits at which you can’t control. One cannot control the virtues of their lives, it’s just who they are. As for state of character, your character is what makes a person who they, they might be able to change certain aspects but ultimately the person is still the