Concepts

Question 1

What does Aristotle say is ‘the good’ for humans?

Answer 1

It is the fulfilling of one’s function through the habituation and cultivation of virtues. This creates a life of ‘eudaimonia’ and stems from the deliberation and choice of reason, which is what distinguishes humans as their purpose.

Question 2

What is the function argument?

Answer 2

It is Aristotle’s argument for ‘the good’ being something fulfilling its function. A can opener is a good can opener if it fulfils its function efficiently and completely. This means all of its parts must work together for the good of the whole. In the same way, the logical faculties of a person combine to create a rational agent.

Question 3

What does Aristotle state is NOT ‘the good’?

Answer 3

Wealth - Means to an end.
Intelligence - Can be used for evil
Pleasure - Would make us merely animals.
Goodness - Compatible with a life of suffering.
Honour - Dependent on peer’s opinion.

Question 4

What are the facets of eudaimonia which distinguish it as ‘the good’?

Answer 4

1) It is self-sufficient
2) It is the most desirable of all things.
3) It is the ultimate end.
4) It is the most final end.
(Some things can be an ultimate end, btut not the most final end.)

Question 5

Why is pleasure not the final end?

Answer 5

• Humans have other aims and goals.
• Pleasure does not distinguish us from other animals.
• Our purpose lies in rationality.

Question 6

Where does Aristotle sit on the scale of ‘importance of pleasure to the good’?

Answer 6

• Hedomism: Pleasure if the final good
• Aristotle: Pleasure plays a part in eudaimonia, therefore it is somewhat relevant.
• Ascenticism: Pleasure is irrelavent to moral superiority.

Question 7

What is the criticism of Aristotle’s 1st part of the function argument which states that our function is to live by reason?

Answer 7

• Weak argument from analogy.
• Commits the fallacy of composition.

Question 8

What is the stucture of the soul according to Aristotle?

Answer 8

non-rational:
- Growth and nutrition
- Desires and emotions
Rational:
- Practical reason - Practical wisdom
- Theoretical reason - contrmplation

Question 9

What are the parts of the soul that are influences by reason according to Aristotle?

Answer 9

Desires and emotion
practical reason
theoretical reason

Question 10

What are the importance of dispositions to Aristotle?

Answer 10

Where reason leads to a habituated positive character trait, this is a virtue ‘arete’.
Where reason fails, and we habituate a failed rational action, this is a vice.

Question 11

What is the importance of habituation and education to Aristotle?

Answer 11

Virtue must involve education and rationality, otherwise it is an absent-minded habit. The process is:
- Copy a virtuous person
- Practise their routine in this action
- Apply this virtue to numerous scenarios.

Question 12

What is the importance of feelings to Aristotle?

Answer 12

• He believes all actions display emotions.
• Virtue: is expressing an emotive mean.
• Vice: expressing an emotive abundence or defecit.
• Virtuous people have no inner conflict concerning their actions.

Question 13

What is the importance of the ‘Golden Mean’ to Aristotle?

Answer 13

• The right amount of a particular emotion displayed, which is governed by reason. E.g., Courage is the mean between cowardice and brashness.

Question 14

What is a criticism of the doctrine of the ‘Golden Mean’?

Answer 14

• Packaged emotions too neatly, and presumes they are that easy to control.
• Some character traits do not have a mean, E.g., Murderous intent. Do all traits really have a scale?

Question 15

What is the relationship between practical reason, action, and pleasure in Aristotle’s ethics?

Answer 15

Practical reason drives us to deliberation. This then drives us to action. When an action is habituated, and we are good at it, we then begin to experience pleasure in doing it.

Question 16

What is the 6-step process of habituating a virtue?

Answer 16

Wish / desire
Deliberation - prac reasoning
Choice - Prac. reasoning and action
Action - action
Habituation - action and virtue
Virtue - virtue

Question 17

What is a criticism of Aristotle pertaining to the labeling of virtue habituation as ‘the good’?

Answer 17

In his writings, Aristotle pivots his definition of eudaimonia to the participation in Philosophy and reasoning as the way to achieve eudaimonia. The cultivation of virtues gives a lot more of a dynamic, exciting, and applicable lifestyle.

Question 18

What is the issue with Aristotle concerning it giving an actual doctrine of rules to follow?

Answer 18

Some Criticise Aristotle for not actually giving a doctrine of rules to follow. We have been given a way to uderstand the right thing to do ‘Do the right thing according to virtue’ but this doesn’t actually tell us what to do in a given situation.

Question 19

What is the defence of Aristotle concerning the criticism that he doesn’t give us a clear doctrine to follow?

Answer 19

Rosalind Hursthouse claims that we are given rules based on the prevention of contradiction when expressing virtue. E.g., being honourable entails ‘Do not lie,’ These self-evident rules are identified by Hursthouse as ‘V-rules’.
- What about societies with differing ‘v-rules’? - Mackie
- James Rachels: Societies have universal V-rules.

Question 20

What is the criticism of Aristotle concerning clashing duties?

Answer 20

What about those who wish to experience euthenasia? Do you prioritise charity or justice?
- Practical widsom reveals the appropriate virtue
- Aristotle made a heirarchy of virtues.
- Hursthouse accounts for the ‘moral remainder’ of decisions. E.g., guilt, saddness. Virtue ethics is the only system sophisticated enough to account for this.

Question 21

What is the issue that Aristotelian virtue ethics is circular?

Answer 21

• What makes a virtuous person? - They performs virtues.
• What’s a virtue? - An act performed by a virtuous person.
• Zagzebski in her argument for what creates a good defiinition states to avoid using circular definitions. We never actually find the essence of a subject.

Question 22

What is the solution to the criticism of Aristotle which states his theory is circular?

Answer 22

Unpack the concepts more thoroughly:
- Virtue = Lies in deliberation and choice off the appropriate mean of emotion.
- Virtuous person = Someone who lives a eudaimonic life based on practical wisdom.

Question 23

What is the criticism of Aristotle which questions whether virtues need to contribute to Eudaimonia in order to be morally good.

Answer 23

• What about virtues which don’t contribute to eudaimonia? - Maybe selflessness? This doesn’t conntribute to your personal eudaimonia, as ths is giving yourself away to others.
• Aristotle believes all virtues contribute to Eudaimonia, as this is part of their definition.
  (Selflessness also helps cultivate charity and humility)

Question 24

What is Hume’s view of the role of virtues?

Answer 24

Hume believes virtues are agreeable or useful traits. They do not have to contribute to eudaimonia in order to be a virtue. This contradicts Aristotle’s beliefs.
- A counterargument to this could be that Hume does not have a teleological view of human purpose. Therefore, his definition was always going to be different.

Question 25

What is the issue with Aristotle concerning the self-seeking nature of his theory, compared to it being a moral theory?

Answer 25

• This is the argument that Aristotle is more concerned with self-actualisation than establishing sturdy morals.
  This is evident through:
• Teaches how we each individually flourish
• Individual virtues which are mentioned: Pride or ambition
• Concerned with personal eudaimonia through practical wisdom.

Question 26

What is the argument that Aristotelian virtue ethics is more concerned with the good of others than being a self-serving theory?

Answer 26

• Goodness for the individual means goodness for the community.
• Many virtues benefit everyone ‘Generosity, kindness etc.’
• Aristotle sometimes takes a hardline stance on soome issues.

Question 27

What can we identify Aristotle’s theory as ultimately: Moral or self-seeking?

Answer 27

Moral theory: Because Individual good = moral good.
- Ancient Greek philosophers had no issue with identifying self actualisation as a good moral initiative.
- Aristotle rules out simple self-interest as the good: Wealth, honour, intelligence.
- Virtues that benefit me will often also benefit others.