Aristotelian Ethics: Happiness and Virtue
Aristotelian Ethics
Introduction
Ethics studies human nature and focuses on how the individual reaches well-being. The central concept of Aristotelian ethics is eudaimonia, which is usually translated as happiness or excellence. Eudaimonia, or happiness, is the ultimate goal of human behavior. Ethics is therefore purposive, valuing actions that lead to the desired end. Happiness, or eudaimonia, is realized throughout one’s whole life. It is the end to which every human being aspires. Eudaimonia has the following features:
- Happiness is a way of acting and living that involves the cultivation of virtues, both of character and intellect. This form of conduct is the basis of happiness.
- Eudaimonia is an end in itself; it is not a means to something else. Happiness is the ultimate end and encompasses one’s entire life.
Given these features, eudaimonia cannot be identified with pleasure, honor, or wealth, yet these circumstances are requirements for happiness. Happiness depends on two factors: external factors subject to randomness and internal factors dependent on oneself. Aristotle distinguishes two elements in the human being: an irrational element and a rational one. Hence, he distinguishes between two kinds of virtues: ethical virtues, which are related to the irrational side of human beings, and dianoetic virtues, which refer to the rational side.
The middle ground is the path that leads to eudaimonia, which is to apply reason to the senses and emotions. Virtue is achieved when one finds the mean. Virtue is the mean between two vices: one of excess and another of deficiency. To achieve this, we need to know how to react appropriately to each circumstance. The mean is not the same for everyone but depends on the circumstances.
For Aristotle, each person’s character is similar to a work of art, where every action is a small brushstroke that contributes to the final result, and the sum of the actions forms our habits. The culmination of virtue is achieved when we act excellently without effort.
Justice and Politics in Aristotelian Thought
Justice serves as a bridge between ethics and politics. There are two ways to understand justice:
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Particular Justice and Equality: This concerns a relationship between different individuals that is drawn to equity. It considers two ways to be fair:
- Corrective justice, in which distribution is about giving everyone the same.
- Distributive justice, which is applied when distributing public office.
- Total Justice or Legality: This kind of justice refers to law enforcement. According to this notion, enforcing laws is just, and breaking them is wrong.
The human being is a mixture of irrationality and rationality. The secret of a happy life is to learn to shape human character according to the criteria of reason. Aristotle believes that there is a form of happiness that is reserved for a privileged few: the contemplative life, which involves studying theoretical sciences. Pleasure and happiness will be greater the more time is devoted to contemplation and the development of theoretical science and philosophy.