ARE WE LIVING THE GOOD LIFE?

ARISTOTLE’S
NICHOMACHEAN
ETHICS
ARISTOTLE (384-322)
❖ Originally from Macedon
❖ Arrived Athens in 367, Student of Plato
❖ Left Athens in 347, taught Alexander
❖ Returned to Athens 334, founded Lyceum
❖ Left Athens in 323, after death of Alexander
❖ Works on topics: biology, physics, logic, music and art,
politics, ethics, etc.
❖ Wrote dialogues, but only lecture notes survive
❖ Considered “The Philosopher” in Middle Ages
 NICHOMACHEAN ETHICS

❖ A treatise on the nature of moral life and

human happiness, based on the unique essence
of human nature
❖ Named after one of Aristotle’s son who is
thought to have edited it from lecture notes.
 OUTLINE

❖ The Greatest Good: Eudaimonia

❖ Eudaimonia and the Human Soul
❖ The Virtues
❖ “The Golden Mean”
THE GREATEST GOOD:
EUDAIMONIA
Every action aims at some good
Some actions aim at an instrumental good
Some actions aim at an ultimate good

Ultimate goods are better than instrumental goods

Instrumental goods (ends) are aimed at only insofar as
they are for the sake of something else
Ultimate goods (ends) are aimed at for their own sakes.
ULTIMATE GOOD?
Candidates Critiques
Pleasure ✔Transient, not complete

Wealth ✔Only instrumental, not

self-sufficient

Fame & Honor ✔Depends on others, not

self-sufficient

Happiness
✔Complete and self-sufficient
HAPPINESS?

Eudaimonia
Well-being or doing well
“activity of the soul in accordance with virtue or
excellence” (EN I.7)

More complete than merely feeling good or

joyful
Feeling well in all aspects of life
EUDAIMONIA AND THE
HUMAN SOUL
Human happiness must be uniquely human, or a
distinct human function.
Consider the structure of the psyche:
nutritive, sensitive, and rational parts
Which is uniquely human?
Only the rational element is distinctive of humans.
So, human happiness consists of a rationally
directed life…a whole life…
ARISTOTLE’S TRIPARTITE SOUL

Theoretical
Rational Humans Rational
Practical

Will
Appetites
Sensitive Animals Partly-rational
Sensation
Movement

Animative
Nutritive Plants Non-rational
Generative
THE VIRTUES
A virtue (areté) is what makes one function well; usually
understood as a disposition or state of a person.
Conditions for virtue: fortune and success
Basic necessities, good birth, friends, wealth, good looks, health, etc.
Types of virtue
Virtues of thought: wisdom, comprehension, etc.
Achieved through education and time
Virtues of character: generosity, temperance, courage,
etc.
Achieved by habitual practice
Both should be in accord with reason and
are needed for Eudaimonia.
“THE GOLDEN MEAN”
Virtue is ruined by excess and deficiency (in
feelings and action)
Consider health
So, is learned by the mean of excess and
deficiency
A balance or intermediate between extremes
But a “relative” mean*
Not a geometric or arithmetic average…
A mean relative to the person, the circumstances, as well
as the right emotional component (EN II.3 and II.6)
COURAGE
The right action and emotional response in the face of
danger

Fool-heartiness or rashness is an excess of the

emotional and/or proper action; (doesn’t properly
appreciate the danger, not fearful)

Cowardice is the deficiency of proper emotion

(motive) and action; (the danger is over-appreciated,
too fearful)
SOME VIRTUES & MEANS
Deficit Virtue Excess
Cowardice Courage Rashness

Insensible Temperance Self-indulgence

Meaness, stinginess Liberality or Prodigiality,

generosity spendthrift

Mock-modesty Truthfulness boastfulness

WHAT?
Deficit Virtue Excess
Magnificence
? ?
(money matters)

Lazy ? Zealous

Undue Humility ? Vanity

Pleasantness
? ?
(Friendliness)
WHAT?
Deficit Virtue Excess

Magnificence
Niggardliness Tasteless or vulgarity
(money matters)

Proper Desire
Lazy Zealous
(ambitious?)

Undue Humility Proper Pride Vanity

Pleasantness
Quarrelsome, surly Obsequious, flatterer
(Friendliness)
OTHERS
Deficit Virtue Excess

Shameless Modesty Bashfulness

Righteous
Envy Spite
Indignation

Boorishness Witty Buffoonery

BASIC MODEL
Ends

Want Eudaimonia
BASIC MODEL
Means? Ends

? Eudaimonia
BASIC MODEL
Means Ends

Areté Eudaimonia
BASIC MODEL
Means
Areté
A disposition or character
trait (intellectual, emotional)
to choose or be motivated
to actions that are a relative
intermediate between
extremes of excess and
deficiency.
Ends
Eudaimonia
Rationally guided, whole
life; complete with emotion,
intellect, action, sociality,
etc.