Lessons 1: "Aristotle and Virtue Theory"

 Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who pioneered systematic, scientific study in literally every
domain of human knowledge, was born in 384 B.C. in Stagira, northern Greece.

 He is grouped with Socrates and Plato as the three greatest Greek intellectuals. Aristotle was
sent to Plato's Academy in Athens at 18.

 When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, he brought Aristotle's works. These
beliefs impacted other ideologies and theology, including Jewish, Christian, and Muslim.

 Aristotle enjoyed wandering around the school's tree-lined gardens and talking with students
about philosophy, mathematics, and rhetoric, so he built the Lyceum, a Peripatetic School.

According to Aristotle, human ergon is intellectual soul activity that is virtuous. Our role is to
apply logic and communicate with our pack. Thus, a person's function or activity of reason characterizes
them. To be genuinely human, one must always act in line with sense.

On the other hand, Aristotle explains that arete or virtue as excellence is when humans act
rationally. Aristotle adds that we must do our reasonable actions well. According to Aristotle, virtue
entails doing the right thing at the right time, the suitable method, and the right amount. Virtue is the
middle ground. It's the perfect balance of excess and lack.

 A good person first assesses the circumstances according to Aristotle. Surveillance and safe
intervention are both gutsy choices when sizing up a mugger. The brave decision is to seek
help if your action puts both you and the victim at risk.

 The Golden Mean is a popular Aristotelian Virtue Theory. Aristotle's idea of the mean is built
on three pillars:

First, the good person is in a state of equilibrium. This relates to the medical
concept of a balanced individual.  Equilibrium is having the correct feelings about
the right things, with the right people, for the right reasons.

The second pillar says we should strive for a relative mean. Aristotle suggests a new
method for discovering an intermediate. Aristotle's ethics are not universal; he
seeks the mean for each individual. 

Third pillar: every virtue has two vices. The mean is the middle ground between
two vices. A trio is formed with excess or insufficiency as the ends and virtue as the
middle. A person's character is blamed if it is too close to either of the two vices but
praiseworthy if it is near the intermediate. A virtuous and thus joyful existence
requires proper participation in each of these three pillars. Surveillance and safe
intervention are both gutsy choices when sizing up a mugger.
 According to Aristotle, moral goodness is acquired by habit. A morally upright individual
consistently identifies the good and acts accordingly. Morality is a habit of doing the right thing.
“Practice makes perfect!” Finding someone who already knows what to do is the appropriate thing to
do. We gain virtue by practicing it until it becomes part of our character. We learn them via “Moral
Exemplars”.

In addition, knowing the appropriate way to do something is called practical wisdom. In order to
get wisdom, one must first gain knowledge. Decent intellectually does not make a person good morally.
Remember that knowing what to do is not the same as executing it. Assisting oneself in making ethically
sound decisions and behaviors need the intellectual support of practical wisdom.

 To achieve moral goodness, Aristotle argues one must form habits. In

order to be morally virtuous, one must consistently decide the good
and behave accordingly. Doing the right thing is a habit. “Perfection
comes with practice!”

He also added that a life of Eudaimonia is a struggle. It's a life of accomplishment and pushing
oneself. Happiness comes from achieving something challenging, not from being handed it. It involves
never stopping learning, facing setbacks and failures, and always setting new goals.

 Eudaimonia means: The exquisite pleasure of retiring to bed after a

long day. The satisfaction of knowing you've done well and pushed
yourself to be the best you can be.

These are some criticisms on Aristotle’s Virtue Theory,

 it lacks a clear basis for deciding what we should do and not do. It does not address
moral concerns such as abortion, the death penalty, same-sex marriage, or human
trafficking. The demand to be virtuous must be led by norms that allow individuals to
judge morally correct.
 Aristotle's advice to seek the medium between deficiency and excess does not always
provide direction in determining right and evil. While Aristotle mentions "right moment,
right object, right person, right motivation, the right way," there is no precise measure
to assess if what is proper and moderate has been achieved. There are no clear criteria
on how often or how angry we should be.
 Lastly, humans have only one separate function, according to Aristotle. Existentialists
and postmodernists believe that one's purpose, function, or nature is something that
one makes and chooses for oneself. We cannot presume that humans, as self-
determining beings, have a distinct and clearly defined function.