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4/25/17
Lesson 25 History Essay
Week 5 writing assignment (choose two of the following; if you choose question 2, you may do just that one):
1. Why was Aristotle a significant figure?
2. How would you explain Aristotle's main points in his Ethics to the average person?
3. How have libertarians, or "Aristotelian liberals," argued for liberty on the basis of Aristotle's ideas?
4. What was the Spartan society like?
(Question 2) Aristotle wrote many great works that contributed to the world of philosophy and other studies, but we are going to focus on Aristotle’s Ethics. This can be a confusing puzzle but laid out nicely it can be understood.
The first question Aristotle asked was “is there an ultimate good, for which we pursue in its own sake?” so he means, there is no end objective. We just do the things we do for one purpose. We would pursue this just for the sake of pursuing it, which I will connect to later. The answer Aristotle put to that is yes! There is an end goal to the process of pursuing, happiness is that end goal. Questions like, why do you go to college? To get an education. Why do you want an education? To get a job. Why do you want a job? To have a house and good food. And that could go on and on (I don't mean to sound redundant I just want to emphasize my point) but ultimately you do these things to be happy and get the “good life”. You don't do school for no purpose, and you don't get a house to be sad. The work you do is all aiming at something but it all traces back to that one objective. Happiness, (in Aristotle's point of view) this is so you’ll feel content with doing life the right way. But what is the “good life” and the “right way” of things really? That’s where ethics come in as guidelines.
People may say other attributes of "the good life" are things like virtue, honor, pleasure, and wealth you could say that’s when someone’s “made it.” Happiness (or eudaimonia ~ latin) must be sought for its own sake because other ends have goals stretching on if you kept asking the questions. But there must be a stopping point. Happiness is a virtuous activity and that virtuous activity will bring pleasure. That, Aristotle, thinks, is developing your potential greatness! These are the keys to a good life.
Though it's not as simple as it seems. This idea, of course, could have a counter-argument. You wouldn’t want to be honored for something you didn’t do, or something that’s bad. Wealth, well yes, but in the end what is the money for? Material items? (good, but to an extent) He believes happiness is sought for its own sake if you didn’t have an end objective you wouldn’t bother starting. Aristotle believes in living a life that is befitting of a human bean. A “good” car transports us smoothly from one place to another. A “good” lamp lights up a room. And so, a good human being does what they are made to do, they act on reason and not just instinct like animals. Thinking things through using your head. That is the differentiating trait of humans from animals, reason.
We can’t just act on what makes us feel good. Eating two pizza's because you "like pizza" is superfluous. And eventually the pizza will be eaten and the temporary good feeling will be gone. And then, you will want more pizza later, you can't fill the happiness void with pizza. Or material things. In the end, the pursuit has to be more abstract than that.
People should do the right thing and follow morals, he says. We need to use reason and keep pleasures in subjection (like the ex. I gave earlier). We also need to make decisions with reflection, with contemplation, and with the help of moral training. A habit of doing the right thing perfects your virtues. You become virtuous by doing virtuous things and having that mindset. Charity is a virtuous activity because it is a selfless pursuit. Virtue is a mean between two extremes. Courage (between rashness and cowardice), temperance (moderation), justice (no mean here.. you can’t be too just) and so on. A balance between the extremes. You can't save a drowning person when you don't know how to swim. Think about your actions and use your moral code as a backbone for, however, the situation fits. Like, for example, don’t initiate force on a peaceful person and cause violence. Be civil don’t turn to violence. First, Aristotle says, use persuasion or discussion, this is actually a libertarian idea as well (or classical liberal). Not everyone will agree with you even then, but it's not okay to hurt people to make them think like you, even if your right. Virtuous people have satisfying relationships, a friendship of utility won’t last long and will crumble when not necessary anymore. But the friendship of the common good will be a better relationship to have. Friendship also gives you an opportunity to exercise your virtue. Aristotle wanted to find the ultimate goal of life and virtue, his ethics and ideas are still studied today. In Aristotle’s work on ethics, he is a philosopher of common sense and he finds a happy middle between two radical sides.
4/25/17
Lesson 25 History Essay
Week 5 writing assignment (choose two of the following; if you choose question 2, you may do just that one):
1. Why was Aristotle a significant figure?
2. How would you explain Aristotle's main points in his Ethics to the average person?
3. How have libertarians, or "Aristotelian liberals," argued for liberty on the basis of Aristotle's ideas?
4. What was the Spartan society like?
(Question 2) Aristotle wrote many great works that contributed to the world of philosophy and other studies, but we are going to focus on Aristotle’s Ethics. This can be a confusing puzzle but laid out nicely it can be understood.
The first question Aristotle asked was “is there an ultimate good, for which we pursue in its own sake?” so he means, there is no end objective. We just do the things we do for one purpose. We would pursue this just for the sake of pursuing it, which I will connect to later. The answer Aristotle put to that is yes! There is an end goal to the process of pursuing, happiness is that end goal. Questions like, why do you go to college? To get an education. Why do you want an education? To get a job. Why do you want a job? To have a house and good food. And that could go on and on (I don't mean to sound redundant I just want to emphasize my point) but ultimately you do these things to be happy and get the “good life”. You don't do school for no purpose, and you don't get a house to be sad. The work you do is all aiming at something but it all traces back to that one objective. Happiness, (in Aristotle's point of view) this is so you’ll feel content with doing life the right way. But what is the “good life” and the “right way” of things really? That’s where ethics come in as guidelines.
People may say other attributes of "the good life" are things like virtue, honor, pleasure, and wealth you could say that’s when someone’s “made it.” Happiness (or eudaimonia ~ latin) must be sought for its own sake because other ends have goals stretching on if you kept asking the questions. But there must be a stopping point. Happiness is a virtuous activity and that virtuous activity will bring pleasure. That, Aristotle, thinks, is developing your potential greatness! These are the keys to a good life.
Though it's not as simple as it seems. This idea, of course, could have a counter-argument. You wouldn’t want to be honored for something you didn’t do, or something that’s bad. Wealth, well yes, but in the end what is the money for? Material items? (good, but to an extent) He believes happiness is sought for its own sake if you didn’t have an end objective you wouldn’t bother starting. Aristotle believes in living a life that is befitting of a human bean. A “good” car transports us smoothly from one place to another. A “good” lamp lights up a room. And so, a good human being does what they are made to do, they act on reason and not just instinct like animals. Thinking things through using your head. That is the differentiating trait of humans from animals, reason.
We can’t just act on what makes us feel good. Eating two pizza's because you "like pizza" is superfluous. And eventually the pizza will be eaten and the temporary good feeling will be gone. And then, you will want more pizza later, you can't fill the happiness void with pizza. Or material things. In the end, the pursuit has to be more abstract than that.
People should do the right thing and follow morals, he says. We need to use reason and keep pleasures in subjection (like the ex. I gave earlier). We also need to make decisions with reflection, with contemplation, and with the help of moral training. A habit of doing the right thing perfects your virtues. You become virtuous by doing virtuous things and having that mindset. Charity is a virtuous activity because it is a selfless pursuit. Virtue is a mean between two extremes. Courage (between rashness and cowardice), temperance (moderation), justice (no mean here.. you can’t be too just) and so on. A balance between the extremes. You can't save a drowning person when you don't know how to swim. Think about your actions and use your moral code as a backbone for, however, the situation fits. Like, for example, don’t initiate force on a peaceful person and cause violence. Be civil don’t turn to violence. First, Aristotle says, use persuasion or discussion, this is actually a libertarian idea as well (or classical liberal). Not everyone will agree with you even then, but it's not okay to hurt people to make them think like you, even if your right. Virtuous people have satisfying relationships, a friendship of utility won’t last long and will crumble when not necessary anymore. But the friendship of the common good will be a better relationship to have. Friendship also gives you an opportunity to exercise your virtue. Aristotle wanted to find the ultimate goal of life and virtue, his ethics and ideas are still studied today. In Aristotle’s work on ethics, he is a philosopher of common sense and he finds a happy middle between two radical sides.
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