Aristotle

Ok. For quite some time Aristotle has rubbed me the wrong way and I think I've nailed down the reason. All Aristotle did was develop a brilliant system that meant he was always right. Now bear with me, Aristotle defined ethics as being an inexact political science and an art of how to achieve the highest intrinsically valuable, practical and supreme good. This supreme good is happiness. To Aristotle Happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with complete or moral virtue. Or another way to define it would be to live well and rationally, do well rationally, and function rationally. The mean between the extreme.

Oh Aristotle! Why can't I finish a sentence about you without having to define a half a dozen words or more!

Now what is soul and morals? Let's start with soul, believe it or not, it's easier to understand. The soul is broken down into two parts, the first being the irrational soul. The irrational soul is fairly vegetative. It controls appetite, nurturing, growth, it controls primal functions to survive. On the flip side you have the Rational soul. The Rational soul's primary function is to have the capability of virtue.

Virtue in and of itself, is not a natural thing according to Aristotle. We naturally have the capability to acquire it but it is not of nature. Virtue is also considered a mean between two extremes. Now to break Virtue down into two parts. There is Intellectual Virtues which we are taught through school and family. Then there are Moral Virtues which we learn through observation and habit. Despite my readings, I have not found a virtue that is simply one or the other. It looks something like this.

But oh my Aristotle! All of those terms that you ask us to look at, all of your virtues are broad open terms. While every will say that you should have these traits, to everyone they have different meanings. Where is the line between Courage and being Fool hardy? Well say's Aristotle, if you want to know more you should ask the prudent man! Well who is the prudent man? He is of course the one who has lived in happiness. Well he has dedicated his life to his so by his own teachings he is the prudent man. Circular logic to the rescue? I feel as if I am missing a vast important piece of Aristotle.  Oh my. Maybe next week we will see what James and Kant have to say about this. Or if I am feeling up to the challenge I will talk about Nietzsche. If you're like my class everyone reading this and a few who won't know why let out a collective exasperated disgusted sigh. 

Well corset hoping one day to say something outrageous enough to warrant hearing from a reading,
signing off.