Kiki Sabater 11/16/2013 Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Book II

BOOK II. Chapter 1

1. In book II.1 Aristotle divides virtue into two types corresponding to these two parts of the soul; these are: (103a14)
Intellectual virtue- owes both its birth and its growth to teaching Moral virtue- comes about as a result of habit

2. Give me an example of a behavior (good or had) that you have changed/developed by habituation. Now give an example of a behavior that you would LIKE TO CHANGE by habituation.
A behavior that I have developed by habituation is daily exercise, as I have made it part of my daily routine over the past 3 years. I would like to change my singing habits with respect to vocal support and by habitually keeping my ribcage expanded outwards while producing sound as practiced everytime I sing.

BOOK II. Chapter 2

3. He says the present examination does not aim __at theoretical knowledge_, but to _be attained for the purpose of becoming good___ (1103b28-32)

4. Aristotle begins by giving a good rule of thumb (one that he will examine more closely further on in the book): that certain states in the soul "tend to be ruined by _defect and __excess." (1104a13) >
5. If these ruin the soul, what preserves it? (1104a13-1104b3) Courage, as it helps mediate between defect and excess.

BOOK II. Chapter 3

Next Aristotle talks on the subject matter of virtuous action. A virtuous person not only does what is right BUT ALSO GETS PLEASURE OUT OF DOING RIGHT, AND DISCOMFORT IN DOING WRONG.

6. Thus ethics is concerned with developing the right sorts of _actions and passions. (1104b15) --(or pleasures and pains)-7. Now give me three examples of each of the following (a) activities that we should develop pain toward and (b) activities that it would be good to develop pleasure toward: a) Activities we should develop pain toward: the base, the injurious, the painful b) Activities we should develop pleasure toward: the noble, the advantageous, the pleasant Finish read this chapter before going on to the next. Aristotle here raises a radical view of ethics: Ethics is not just doing good but making yourself into a good person. But why is this radical? Because according to this theory we are not truly good if we do a good deed out of duty, obedience to God, or out of guilt, since in these cases our actions are accompanied by pain. For Aristotle doing a good deed should be accompanied by pleasure. Thus it is not the action that is most important but developing the sort of character where you enjoy doing what is good and proper. 7. Is this a reasonable theory? What would Aristotle say about a person who refrains from a crime out of fear of hell or divine wrath?" Are they really good?
This is a reasonable theory because it provides that those who are good are those who have become habituated to enjoy doing good deeds. Aristotle would have said this person is not really good as they avoid these behaviors to avoid unfavorable circumstances, not because it is a part of their character to behave honorably.

BOOK II. Chapter 4

8. (1) If (a) what makes an action good is having a character which enjoys doing good; and (b) the way we develop this character is by doing good; HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO BECOME GOOD IN THE FIRST PLACE? It is possible to become good in the first place by having the appropriate kind of character or certain condition that is both firm and unchangeable with respect to his inner possession of virtues. The man must somehow first be temperate and then engage in temperate acts accordingly. He is instinctually so and behaves virtuously because he is simply predisposed to think such behavior is good. 9. (2) How is this like the problem of the chicken and the egg (i.e. which came

first)?
This is like the problem of the chicken and the egg because Aristotle suggests that a man who engaes in the most virtuous of human actions are those that are predisposed to do so and that the man who chooses to behave virtuously and he that does so for the sake of being virtuous are actually the least virtuous. Thus, a man cannot be genuinely temperate or perform good deeds without first being dispositonally virtuous by this definition.

BOOK II. Chapter 5

10. How does Aristotle define a STATE? (1105b27)
A state is defined as he things in virtue of which we stand well or badly with reference to the passions.

BOOK II. Chapter 6

12. In the beginning of this book Aristotle says "It should be stated then that every virtue causes _ both brings into good condition the thing of which it is the excellence and makes the work of that thing be done well_." Thus the virtue of a human being will likewise be the state of character which makes a man good and which makes him do his own work well. " (1106b22-24)

BOOK II. Chapter 7-9

Read these last chapters and identify or describe the mean state, the excessive state, and the deficient state (though all may not have names) in the following kinds of activity and feelings: 13. IDENTIFY MEAN STATE, EXCESSIVE STATE, DEFICIENT STATE: In regard to feelings of fear and confidence Mean state: courage Deficient state: ?? Excessive State: (in confidence) rashness, (in fear) cowardice

In pleasures and pain Mean state: temperence Deficient state: insensible people

Excessive State: self indulgence

In giving and taking money Mean state: liberally Deficient state: prodigiality (in taking) and meanness (in spending) Excessive State: prodigality (in spending) and meanness (exceeds in taking)

In honor and dishonor Mean state: proper pride Deficient state: undue humility Excessive State: ambitiousness

In handling large sums of money: Mean state: magnifiencence Deficient state: niggardliness Excessive State: tastelessness and vulgarity

In small honors Mean state: related to magnifence Deficient state: undue humility Excessive State: ambitiousness

In social life

 Mean state: good temper Deficient state: inirascibility Excessive State: irascibility

In truth telling and pride Mean state: Deficient state: Excessive State:

In the pleasure of amusements Mean state: praise-worthy Deficient state: neither praiseworthy nor right, but worthy of blame Excessive State: neither praiseworthy nor right, but worthy of blame

In pleasantness toward friends and associates Mean state: ready-wit Deficient state: boorishness Excessive State: buffoonery

In level of shame Mean state: modesty Deficient state: bashfulness Excessive State: shamelessness

 In pleasure and pain at what befalls neighbors Mean state: righteous indignation Deficient state: envious Excessive State: painful

14. What are these questions?

What defines intermediation between excess and deficienecy? How do we judge these intermediation between the two?