1. Aristotle’s Ethics

2. Ancient Athens
Acropolis

3. Aristotle

4. Aristotle: Goods
Instrumental goods: desired for the sake of something else
Intrinsic goods: desired for their own sake

5. Happiness
One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness

6. Happiness
One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness
Happiness (eudaimonia) = living well = flourishing

7. Happiness
One thing is always desired for its own sake, never for the sake of something else: happiness
Happiness (eudaimonia) = living well = flourishing
What does that require? Prosperity and luck, yes, but more

8. Living well
What is it to live well?

9. Living well What is it to live well? Analogies: A good knife cuts well
A good eye sees well
A good teacher teaches well

10. Living well What is it to live well? Analogies:
A good knife cuts well
A good eye sees well
A good teacher teaches well
A good person _____s well

11. Function
A thing’s function stems from what is special about it: what distinguishes it from other things
Knives cut: sharpness —> cutting
Eyes see: ability to see —> seeing
Teachers teach: ability to teach —> teaching

12. Our Function
What is the function of a human being?
Agora, Athens

13. Our Function What is the function of a human being?
What is special about people?
Agora, Athens

14. Our Function What is the function of a human being?
What is special about people?
We act according to rational plans

15. Virtue Our function is rational activity
A good person succeeds at rational activity
Virtue = excellence
A virtuous person excels at rational activity

16. Two Kinds of Virtue Virtue = rational activity
Excellence in rationality: intellectual virtue
Excellence in activity: moral virtue

17. Becoming virtuous Intellectual virtue can be taught
Moral virtue can’t be
It requires developing habits
We become good by doing good things

18. Right and wrong
An act is right if it is something a virtuous person would tend to do
Tholos temple, Delphi

19. Circular?
Moderns: A virtuous person is one who tends to do the right thing.

20. Circular?
Moderns: A virtuous person is one who tends to do the right thing.
Aristotle: That’s not enough. A virtuous person tends to do the right thing as virtuous people do them.
A good person consistently does the right thing at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason.
Virtuous people do the right thing for the right reason: because it’s the right thing to do.

21. Virtue as a Mean Virtues are means between extremes
Virtues constrain desires
But we may constrain too little or too much

22. Virtues and Vices Drive Too little Just right Too much
Fear cowardly courageous rash
Pleasure self-indulgent self-controlled insensitive
Material goods stingy generous extravagant
Self-esteem vain high-minded small-minded
Anger short-tempered gentle apathetic
Sociability obsequious friendly grouchy
Boasting boastful truthful self-deprecating
Humor clownish witty boring
Drive for honor ambitious ? unambitious
Spending grudging magnificent vulgar

23. Virtue as a Mean
We must give in to desire in the right circumstances, in the right way, for the right reason, etc.
Practical wisdom—the ability to draw the right distinctions and tell right from wrong—allows us to find the mean
There’s no rule for doing this
You must learn to see what is right

24. Can one be too moral?
It’s possible to be “too generous” (extravagant), “too courageous” (rash), “too witty” (clownish), etc.
Is it possible to be too moral?

25. Aristotle’s Theory Right Virtuous people would tend to do it
Too narrow?
(False
negatives)
Too
broad?
(False
positives)