Ethics Midterm Flashcards
action (praxis)
An intentional, rational activity aimed at achieving an end, either as its own goal or for something beyond it.
activity
The realization of a capacity, either as an ongoing process (like learning) or a complete, self-contained action (like seeing).
ambition:
The virtue of seeking honor in the right way, balancing between excessive ambition and undue indifference.
anger
A feeling linked to spirited desire, often involving a response to perceived injustice or offense.
apparent good
Something perceived as good or appears to be desirable but may not align with true goodness or contribute to genuine happiness.
appetite
non-rational desire for what appears pleasant, often linked to bodily needs but also shaped by habituation.
Bekker number
Marginal page numbers in Aristotle’s texts, used for citation and often cited alongside book and chapter divisions.
bravery (andreia):
Courage; the virtue of facing fear, especially in battle, by enduring dangers for a noble cause, choosing the mean between cowardice and recklessness.
calmness
The virtue of moderating anger, balancing between excessive irritability and an insensible lack of spirit.
capacity (dunamis)
A potential for action, rational or non-rational, that becomes actualized under the right conditions.
character
A person’s stable state shaped by habituation, desires, feelings, and rational deliberation, determining their moral virtues and actions.
choiceworthy
Deserving to be chosen, often referring to what is good, fine, pleasant, or expedient.
city (polis)
A self-governing community of free citizens, structured by laws and a political system.
complete
Fully developed or perfected, having reached its end or goal, as in maturity, happiness, or a well-functioning city.
continence (enkrateia)
The state of a person who does not have a habit of acting virtuously, but has self-control in resisting non-rational desires, allowing right action despite inner struggle.
correct reason
The right use of reason, as exemplified in persons recognized for their virtue.
craft (technê)
Art or skill; a virtue of thought involving rational skill in making or producing something, distinct from prudence, which concerns ethical action.
decency
Acting reasonably, fairly, and morally beyond legal requirements, often linked to equity.
decision (prohairesis)
A deliberate, reasoned choice to act or not, based on rational desire and deliberation about means rather than ends.
deduction
A form of reasoning where a conclusion necessarily follows from given premises, moving from general principles to particular cases.
deficiency
Too little; lacking the proper amount of a trait or action, an extreme opposed to excess in virtue.
definition
A statement identifying a thing’s essence by specifying what it is by its fundamental form, function, or purpose.
deliberation
Rational reflection on possible actions, considering means to an end, leading to a reasoned decision.
desire
Attraction toward a perceived good, including rational wish, non-rational appetite, and spirited self-assertion.
differentia
The distinguishing characteristic that sets a species apart within a given genus.
distributive justice
Justice that allocates goods, honors, or burdens proportionally based on merit, need, or contribution to the community.
end
The final goal or purpose for which an action is done, either instrumental (as a means) or an end in itself (pursued for its own sake).
ethics
The branch of philosophy (and more specifically the part of politics) studying virtue, character, happiness, and moral action, guiding practical deliberation through reasoned principles to achieve the good life.
excess
Too much; having too much of a trait or action, an extreme opposed to deficiency in virtue.
feeling (pathos)
A passive condition of the soul involving pleasure or pain, often as a reaction to external stimuli.
fine (kalos)
Worthy of admiration, often referring to moral virtue, praiseworthy actions, and aesthetic beauty.
first principle (archê)
A foundational starting point or cause, whether in knowledge, reasoning, or existence, guiding understanding and decision-making
form
The defining structural principle of a thing, determining its essence, function, and characteristic actions.
freedom
The condition of having open options, often linked to political power and the ability to act publicly
friendliness
The virtuous mean between flattery and quarrelsomeness, characterized by pleasant and appropriate social interactions
friendship
A relationship of mutual goodwill, affection, and shared activities, classified as friendships of pleasure, utility, or virtue
friendship of pleasure
A relationship based on mutual enjoyment, where each person values the other primarily for the pleasure they provide
friendship of utility
a relationship based on mutual benefit, where each person values the other for the advantage they provide
friendship of virtue
A relationship between virtuous people who genuinely wish each other well for their own sake
function (ergon)
The characteristic task, activity, or achievement of a thing, tied to its essence and virtue
generosity
The virtue of giving and taking wealth appropriately, striking the mean between wastefulness and stinginess
genuine good
That which truly perfects and contributes to the authentic growth and flourishing of a being
genus
A broad category that groups things sharing common characteristics, distinguished further by species
Good
That which is desirable or beneficial, contributing to rational aims, virtue, or happiness
habit
A stable state developed through repeated actions, shaping both action and emotions; foundational to virtue, as moral character is cultivated by habituation
habituation
The process of developing stable states through repeated practice, shaping both actions and emotional responses. It conditions individuals to take pleasure in virtuous actions and pain in vice, ultimately forming virtue as a second nature
happiness (eudaimonia)
The ultimate human good, a self-sufficient and complete end, achieved through a life of virtue and supported by external goods like wealth, health, and honor
hedonism
The ethical theory that holds pleasure as the highest good and primary goal of life
honor
Public recognition of a person’s worth, expressed through esteem or awards, balancing between excessive ambition and disregard
incontinence (akrasia)
weakness of will; Lack of self-control, where non-rational desires override reasoned judgment, leading to actions against one’s better judgment.
induction
The process of reasoning from particular cases to general principles, foundational for scientific knowledge (episteme) and first principles.
intemperance
The vice of excess opposed to temperance, marked by unchecked desires that lack correction by reason
involuntary
An action done unwillingly, without being deliberately chosen, often due to force or ignorance, for which one is not morally responsible
judgment
The ability to discriminate, assess, or decide, whether through perception or reasoning, without necessarily requiring discursive thought
justice
The virtue of giving each their due, balancing fairness in distribution and rectification of goods and actions
justice by law
A form of justice based on human enactments, varying across societies, established by legal conventions, decrees, and customs rather than universal natural principles
justice by nature
A form of justice that remains universally valid and unchangeable, independent of human laws and customs, unlike conventional justice, which varies across societies
justice in exchange
Fairness in transactions, ensuring voluntary agreements and rectifying injustices in involuntary exchanges through rectificatory justice
logic
The art of reasoning well, focusing on valid inference and identifying fallacies
magnanimity
The virtue of knowing and claiming one’s true worth, striking the mean between vanity and pusillanimity, especially regarding honor
magnificence
The virtue of large-scale, fitting, and noble spending for honorable purposes, striking the mean between vulgar extravagance and stingy miserliness
mean
The intermediate; the peak of excellence between extremes of excess and deficiency in a given sphere. When one has a state regularly to choose the mean, they possess virtue
means
That by which something else is achieved; its value lies in bringing about an end or goal
metaphysics
The branch of philosophy concerned with Being in general and the categories of Being
nature (phusis)
The internal principle of growth, change, and typical activity in a living or natural thing
pain
A feeling of distress or suffering, often opposing pleasure, influencing moral education and virtue
particular
An individual object, action, or situation, distinct from universal concepts and grasped through perception.
pleasure
A good feeling, either sensory or intellectual, that accompanies virtuous activity when properly aligned with reason
political justice
The form of justice that applies within a self-sufficient political community, governed by law, where free and equal citizens share in ruling and being ruled
political science
The study of civic organization and governance aimed at achieving the common good
politics
The part of philosophy concerned with organizing civic life; for Aristotle, ethics is a part of politics
practical reasoning
Intellectual activity guiding action, aligning desires with what is genuinely good
production (poiêsis)
A process aimed at creating an external end or product, distinct from the activity itself
proper ambition
The virtue of desiring honor in the right way, striking the mean between excessive ambition and undue indifference to honor
prudence
Practical wisdom; the virtue of thought of reasoning well about action, aligning desires with genuine good, and deciding well about means to achieve ends
rational animals
Aristotle’s definition of the human being, distinguishing humans as animals with the capacity for reason
reason (logos)
The rational capacity unique to humans, enabling thought, deliberation, speech, and understanding of the good
rectificatory justice
Corrective justice that restores fairness by rectifying unjust gains or losses through exact arithmetic equality in transactions
responsibility
Moral accountability for one’s deliberately chosen actions
scientific knowledge (epistêmê)
A virtue of thought; the habit of knowing necessary and eternal truths through demonstration based on first principles
second nature
Acquired traits that become habitual, feeling as effortless and natural as innate qualities
self-love
The regard one has for oneself, which can be virtuous when aligned with reason or vicious when excessive
self-sufficient
The state of possessing all that is necessary for happiness within oneself, without reliance on external conditions
shame
A feeling of fear or discomfort in response to potential disrepute or disgrace
softness
A weakness in enduring pain or hardship, leading to indulgence and avoidance of discomfort
species
A subgroup within a genus, defined by a shared essential trait or property among its members
spirit (thumos)
Roughly emotion; a non-rational desire linked to self-assertive feelings, such as pride and anger, motivating action beyond mere pleasure-seeking
soul (psuchê)
The life-principle of an organism, defining its essential functions, including rational and non-rational capacities
state (hexis)
A stable disposition formed by habituation, influencing actions, desires, and decisions.
study (theoria)
Contemplation; intellectual activity of attentively observing and understanding truth, often associated with knowledge, reasoning, and ultimate happiness in Aristotle’s philosophy
teleology
The principle that things are goal-directed; for Aristotle, both natural and artificial objects have inherent purposes or ends they strive toward
temperance (sôphrosunê)
The virtue of character of moderating bodily desires, choosing the right extent of indulgence without severe pain
truth
The conformity of the mind to reality (the way things are in themselves)
truthfulness
The social virtue of being honest about oneself in words and actions, striking the mean between exaggeration and false humility
understanding (nous)
a virtue of thought that consists of the habit of grasping or intuiting first principles, which are the principles from which demonstrations will be able to proceed
universal
A general property or principle applying to multiple particular instances, grasped by reason and studied in science and ethics
vice
A corrupt or defective state of character marked by bad decision-making and immoral actions
virtue (aretê)
Excellence; the developed state of excellence enabling something to fulfill its function well, including virtues of character and thought developed through habituation and rational decision-making.
virtue of character
A developed state of excellence at choosing the mean between extremes in action or emotion
virtues of thought
Intellectual virtues that develop excellence in reasoning, including wisdom, science, understanding, craft, and prudence
voluntary
An action done willingly, without compulsion or reluctance, based on one’s desires and preferences
wisdom (sophia)
A virtue of thought that unites understanding or intuition of first principles (nous) with scientific knowledge or demonstration (episteme), enabling one to grasp causes and their effects; focused purely on study rather than action
wit
The social virtue of knowing how to amuse and be amused appropriately, striking a balance between boorishness and buffoonery in social interactions
