1. The Virtues The Concept of Eudaimonia THIS CD HAS BEEN PRODUCED FOR TEACHERS TO USE IN THE CLASSROOM. IT IS A CONDITION OF THE USE OF THIS CD THAT IT BE USED ONLY BY THE PEOPLE FROM SCHOOLS THAT HAVE PURCHASED THE CDROM FROM DIALOGUE EDUCATION. (THIS DOES NOT PROHIBIT ITS USE ON A SCHOOL’S INTRANET). Dialogue Education 2009 0

2. Page 2 – Video Presentation - Introduction to Aristotle Page 3 – Hoop Shoot -Aristotle Game Page 4 - Map of Greece Page 5 -The Structure of the Nichomachean Ethics Page 6 to 9 - The Ultimate Human Good-Eudaimonia Pages 10-11 – Aristotle’s view of Happiness Pages 12-14 - Excellence Pages 15 - Internal and External goods Pages 17 - Two types of Human Excellence Pages 20 - Moral Excellence Page 26 - Virtues and Vices Table Pages 27-35 -The Major Moral Virtues Justice Courage and Temperance Page 37 – 48 - Freedom and Moral Responsibility Page 50 - Summary Chart Page 51 - Video Presentation on Virtue Ethics Page 52 - Bibliography 1

3. Aristotle Click on the photo for video footage (You need to be connected to the internet) 2

4. Click on the image above for a game of “HoopShoot”. Try playing the game with your students at the start and the end of the unit. Make sure you have started the slide show and are connected to the internet. 3

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7. The Nicomachean Ethics is an attempt to describe what it takes for a human being to live a good (i.e., happy) life. The key concept is the idea of eudaimonia, usually translated into English as “happiness.” 6

8. All distinctively human (i.e., conscious, rational, & voluntary) actions aim at some good. Some goods are ends, and others are means to an end. Ends are more valuable than means. Thus, some goods are higher than others. 7

9. The idea of the Highest (or Ultimate) Good What is it? 8

10. Verbal agreement that the ultimate human good is eudaimonia (“happiness”). Human beings naturally pursue happiness. Substantive disagreement as to the nature of happiness.  Will the pursuit of pleasure & the avoidance of pain make us happy?  How about money, status, & power? 9

11. Finality & completeness A pure end (not a means, not an end that is also a means). Desired entirely for its own sake & not for the sake of anything else. Sufficient in itself. If you are happy, you don’t need any other good. Not one good among others, but an ultimate good above all others. 10

12. What is the distinctive & characteristic function (ergon) of a human being? It is not life (vitality) (both plants & animals are alive). It is not sentience (animals are sentient). The distinctive function of a human being is reasoning (nous). 11

13. Aristotle adds the idea of excellence (arete) to the idea of distinctive function (ergon). The function of a guitar player is to play the guitar; the function of an accomplished guitarist is to play the guitar excellently. If the function of a human being is to live in accordance with reason, then the function of a self-actualized human being is to reason excellently. 12

14. happiness (eudaimonia) results from excellent reasoning & from living in accordance with excellent reasoning. Another formulation: Happiness results from a rational life focused on the pursuit of excellence. 13

15. in addition to living in accordance with excellent reasoning, human beings also need “external prosperity” or “circumstantial security” (money, friends, power, etc.). 14

16. External Goods (Circumstantial Security) Friends Money Status Power Internal Goods Psychological (e.g., peace of mind) Bodily (e.g., physical health) 15

17. Human Excellence (arete) (an internal good) plus Circumstantial Security (an external good) 16

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19. Intellectual Excellence = the excellent functioning of the intellect (correct thinking & reasoning) -- corresponds to the rational dimension of the self Moral Excellence = desiring and acting in accordance with reason -- corresponds to the desiring dimension of the self 18

20. What about physical excellence? Is there a type of excellence corresponding to the physical-biological level of the self? Why does Aristotle not include this level of excellence? Should he include it? 19

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22. Early-life moral training (moral habituation) and Moral practice (repeated performance of morally virtuous actions) 21

23. Human beings have a natural potential for moral virtue, and this potentiality is actualized through early-life moral habituation and through the practise and performance of morally virtuous actions. 22

24. Objective expression: Morally virtuous feelings and actions are those that avoid the extremes of excess (too much) and deficiency (too little). Relative expression: The moral mean is relative to the individual and to the circumstances in which the individual is situated. 23

25.  The doctrine of the mean does not apply to absolute evils (e.g., murder) or to absolute goods (e.g., the pursuit of wisdom).  There is no deficiency but only excess with regard to absolute evils.  There is no excess but only deficiency with regard to absolute goods. 24

26. See Table of Virtues & Vices on the next slide. See also following slides on courage, temperance, & justice. Apply Aristotle’s Table of Virtues & Vices to yourself. Using at least three of his virtue-vice categories, how virtuous (or un-virtuous) are you? 25

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28. Courage (fortitude) -- fear & confidence; endurance of pain Temperance -- pursuit of pleasure & avoidance of pain Justice -- doing good with regard to others 27

29. The willingness & ability to expose oneself to danger & pain when necessary to the achievement of some real & substantial good The coward shrinks or runs from danger & pain; & the reckless person confronts danger & pain even when it is not necessary to the achievement of a real & substantial good. 28

30. The willingness & ability to forego pleasure when necessary to the achievement of some real & substantial good The mindless hedonist always pursues pleasure & always avoids pain, no matter what; & the “insensible” person fails to enjoy the pleasures of life at all. 29

31. A just person is in the habit of obeying the law & of treating people fairly. An unjust person is a law-breaker and/or one who takes unfair advantage of others. 30

32. 1. Justice as lawfulness 2. Justice as fairness 31

33.  Good laws aim at the common good of society, i.e., the production & preservation of the happiness of the political community.  A system of good laws requires us to act in a morally virtuous way, i.e., to exercise ALL of the moral virtues, and it forbids immoral conduct. [Is this true? Should it be?] 32

34.  Giving and taking in accordance with the principle of equality and the principle of assignment by desert or merit  This seems to amount to a principle of equality or inequality of desert or merit 33

35. Penalties & punishments should be imposed only on those who deserve them, and no one should be penalized or punished either too much or too little. What about unequal penalties or punishments imposed on the equally deserving? Mr A and Mr B are guilty of murder, and both deserve the death penalty. Mr. A is executed, but Mr. B receives a life sentence. This seems unjust on the basis of Aristotle’s theory of fairness, but where, exactly, is the injustice? 34

36. -- Criminals deserve to be punished. -- Only criminals (& no non-criminals) should be punished. -- The punishment should be proportionate to the gravity of the crime. -- Where does deterrence fit in? Does it? 35

37. Summary to this point: Eudaimonia = excellence + external security Human excellence: intellectual & moral -- living in accordance with reason Moral excellence In general: pursuing the mean (except where there is no mean) In particular: courage, temperance, justice, & the other specific moral virtues 36

38. Next Slide 37

39. Generally speaking, people may be held responsible for their voluntary actions, but not for their involuntary actions. What, then, are differences between voluntary & involuntary action? 38

40.  Actions performed under compulsion, i.e., (1) caused by a force external to the agent & (2) agent contributes nothing to the action.  Actions performed on the basis of ignorance of the “particular circumstances” of the action (agent, act, object of action, instrument, aim or purpose, manner). 39

41. Not performed either (1) under compulsion or (2) on the basis of ignorance, but rather caused by the agent with knowledge of the “particular circumstances” of the act. 40

42. Some voluntary actions are not products of choice. Examples? The nature of choice: requires thinking & reasoning; a product of prior deliberation. Proper objects of deliberation: things that are possible; things we can control; means, not ends. [Not ends?] 41

43. Voluntary actions that result from deliberation & choice are morally free. Actions that are morally free may be praised or blamed. 42

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47. How is intellectual excellence acquired? Instruction Study Learning 46

48. TheoreticalThe Realm of ReasoningNecessity, Eternity, Intellect& Universality PracticalThe Realm of ReasoningContingency, Temporality, & Particularity 1 2 47

49. Practical reasoning (1) Artistry & Craftsmanship (making) (2) Practical wisdom (doing, acting) Theoretical Reasoning (3) Inferential knowledge Theoretical (4) Intuitive knowledge Wisdom (5) 48

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51. Eudaimonia Human Excellence (arete) Circumstantial Security (external goods) Rational Dimension Intellect Nonrational Dimension Desire Life, Nutrition, Growth (basic organic processes?) Intellectual Excellence Moral Excellence Self The Mean (ergon) Specific Moral Virtues Courage Temperance Justice Etc. Moral Responsibility Theoretical Reasoning Practical Reasoning Intuition Inference Theoretical Wisdom Making -- Artistry & Craftsmanship Doing -- Practical Wisdom Self Summary Chart on Aristotle's Theory of Happiness 50

52. You will need to be connected to the internet to view this presentation. Enlarge to full screen 51

53. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by Terence Irwin. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985. Nicomachean Ethics: Aristotle with an introduction by Hye-Kyung Kim, translated by F.H. Peters in Oxford, 1893. (Barnes & Noble, 2004) Adler, Mortimer J. The Time of Our Lives: The Ethics of Common Sense. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970. A 20th-century version of Aristotle's ethics, interpreting eudaimonia as "a whole life well lived". Cronk G. Bergen College Website- http://www.bergen.edu/faculty/gcronk/ppts.html Pangle, Lorraine (2003). Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press. ISBN-13: 978-0521817455. Pedrick, Victoria; Oberhelman, Steven M. (2006). The Soul of Tragedy: Essays on Athenian Drama. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. ISBN-13: 978-0226653068. Wikipedia-Nichomachean Ethics- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicomachean_Ethics 52