Aristotle

1. How, according to Aristotle, does reason determine right action? How does this connect with the general principle that virtuous action is a mean between extremes? (HINT: Read “Happiness and the Virtues” by Aristotle) Reason plays a part in right action through all of the human virtues. For example, a self-doubt person would use reason to gain confidence. Aristotle pointed out that reason directs us to moderation between. In other words, if excellence is your virtue then avoid mediocrity. 2…

Aristotle and Hobbes’ Ideas about the Origin and Purpose of Political Life From the very ancient times political life was formed by groups of people who were having different thoughts and ideas about how to rule or how to control others and their properties. As long as that happened, the differences had led to misunderstanding and chaos among the tribes and as now called politics. Each political community formed, a different problem came to life. All this was a way to undercover the best ways of…

Why does Aristotle think happiness is the highest good? Aristotle believes that the highest good must be “proper to a person” and that “it can’t be taken away”. An example is then provided on how being famous or being popular cannot be considered a highest good because of the fact that you have no control over it. The fame you have or the popularity you have can be given or taken away by the opinion of the public while happiness cannot be taken away. Aristotle then goes on to say, “If what you…

The names Aristotle and Sophocles were well known throughout all of classical Greece. They are known for their teachings and writings. Sophocles was the most successful writer of Greek tragedies. He often won first place prizes for best tragedy. His most famous tragedy is Oedipus. In Oedipus it is foretold that the main character Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Sophocles wrote another tragedy to follow the events after Oedipus called Antigone. Antigone follows the troubles…

Contrasting Plato’s theory of Dualism, Aristotle explains that the body and mind are one thing that cannot be separated. Aristotle claims that motion is eternal. Introducing us the idea of happiness, Aristotle questions what we do to make our life good or something that makes us be alive. He states that the psyche or soul part of our life like happiness consists a good life for humans. There are different phases/stages that composes our life. The most important part, the Sentient soul, has…

In Nichomachean Ethics Aristotle seeks to answer what the purpose of human existence is. To do this he looks to find an end point to the things we do, something that is sought after only for itself, not for what it gets us. Through this definition he asserts that happiness is the final good of human life; “Verbally there is very general agreement; for both the general run of men and people of superior refinement say that it is happiness.”(Aristotle 1730) Aristotle claims that all men agree…

persons. There are certain things about happiness that most people would be in agreement with. In this paper, I will use the life of a well-known public figure and describe in what ways I believe that his life is similar and different to the views of Aristotle in terms of achieving happiness. Aristotle’s views of happiness will allow me to look at the life of this well-known public figure and understand why this life, which was full of wealth, fame and prestige was not able to find ultimate…

If Aristotle finds Plato’s definition of the soul too dualistic and Democritus’ too materialistic, what does he hold to be true about the soul? Aristotle proffers that the right definition of the soul lay in the mind of “the [philosopher] who mentions both form and matter” (box 332). In Aristotle’s view, soul and body are intertwined, and cannot be separated from one another. He provides an analogy to show the link between form and matter, and the ways in which both Plato and Democritus fail to…

Evidently, this reveals that Aristotle was not concerned with the art proper but instead of representative art. Representative art is art of a certain kind, generalizing the craft itself. In addition, Aristotle’s tragedy not only describes emotions but arouses them by presenting the audience with general features of a certain emotion. In conclusion, Collingwood is concerned with the art proper which is the individualization of art by expressing emotions, whereas, Aristotle is concerned with…

Hobbes’ major achievement to political philosophy is called the ‘social contract theory.’ First of all, Hobbes had a different view of human’s nature as Aristotle to start from. He saw human nature was to be tamed by politics, not exercised. According to Aristotle, The nature of human was to be completed and flourished through community and politics (SEP, 2002). In contrast, Hobbes claims that the state of human nature was war. In his book of Leviathan, he states, “…there is no way for any man…