Aristotle Essay

Have you ever imagined your life being written as a story where you are acting as the protagonist in the story and you are playing out a particular character? This is how Aristotle views human life as. He states that when we are first born, we are born into a story. Your character is born into a specific role that you must play. So you were born into a family, you are expected to be a daughter and play the role as a daughter. You were born into this role; it is not something that is a chosen…

Aristotle was one of the most important Greek philosophers and scientists, better known as the teacher of Alexander the Great. He studied at Plato’s academy in Athens, and is considered an important figure in understanding and shaping the basis of Western philosophy. Famous for his writings on many different subjects, including physics, biology, logic, ethics and psychology, he is considered one of the most prominent and relevant figures of the ancient Greek world. Historical Context…

Aristotle compares virtue to craft. People become virtuous in the same way they become craftsmen—through practice. Virtue originates from virtuous acts but is destroyed by doing unvirtuous acts. Thus, children have to first participate in virtuous acts to be virtuous people as they would have to start playing lyre before they become good or bad musicians. Aristotle says that the act of playing the lyre—or conducting virtuous actions—are analogous. As an inexperienced man is not considered a…

He imitates one of the three entities, things as they are, things as they are said or thought to be or things as they ought to be. In other words, he imitates what is past or present, what is commonly believed and what is ideal. Aristotle says in Poetics that there is natural amusement in imitation which is an in-born impulse in all of us. It is this fruition in imitation that conditions the child to learn his earliest drills in speech and conduct from those around him, because there…

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, and the teacher and mentor to individuals such as Alexander the Great. His influence has spanned the cultures of the world for thousands of years (Shields, 2015). Aristotle contended that a virtuous life was the key to a happy life. For him, virtue was the mean between two extremes. A virtuous person, said Aristotle, was neither excessive nor depleted in his good characteristics and actions. One issue that Aristotle confronted in…

and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good” (Aristotle, 350 BC). Aristotle believes that all activities within these areas strive to attain what we see as good. Our actions as humans are not random or purposeless; we do everything with the rational decision to pursue and achieve happiness and virtue. We strive for the supreme good and are rational enough to seek appropriate resources to attain our goals. Aristotle says that what separates us apart from plants and…

Ravi Sinha Contemporary Civilization October 7, 2014 Happiness is not Two Kinds of Ice Cream Aristotle and Epicurus both agree that that the ultimate goal, or the final end, of human life is to reach some idea of happiness. But the key difference in their philosophy regarding the final end is in their vision and concept of happiness, and how it is to be achieved. Aristotle claims that every action aims at some end. He notes that nearly all activities are not only pursued for the sake of…

In engineering, there are several necessary virtues or excellences needed to flourish in their respective fields. This paper will highlight Aristotle’s understanding of eudaimonia (happiness), arête (virtue), and telos (a final cause or end). Aristotle also makes a distinction between two types of virtues, thought and character. Expanding upon these two, the virtue of thought is described to be about wisdom, comprehension, and intelligence. Whereas, the virtue of character is said to be about…

Aristotle was a synoptic thinker with an over-arching theory that tied together all aspects and fields of philosophy. He elaborates a logic that is designed to describe what exists in the world. Ancient commentators regarded logic as a widely applicable method for careful thinking. They grouped Aristotles six logical treatises into a sort of manual they called the Organon (Greek for “tool””). The Organon…

Aristotle explains the concept of virtue has a concept that can be cultivated through habits. He clearly states that virtue does not come from some predetermine system in each human being, but instead an empty void that gets filled over time. He argues his understanding of a virtue of character as a medial condition between vices, which means there is a balance between two parts of a spectrum. Aristotle uses examples such as a person deciding to be harpist or a builder. He states that the person…