Moral Character: Aristotle

Aristotle believes that all actions and questions are done for the purpose of some sort of good. If there is something that we desire something that fulfills itself, an ultimate end, then this thing must be good and the chief good. This chief good should have an influence on the rest of how we live our lives as we aim for this target. Politics, ethics and social philosophy, should have this quality. Aristotle also believes that reaching this good for a nation or state is greater than reaching it for an individual - I assume because it will positively impact the whole nation of people rather than just the individual. 

Aristotle believes that good and just actions, guided by politics, are achieved through convention rather than by nature. This causes him to conclude that the best people for politics are those who are educated about them and have the most experience with them. Having a less experienced person create ideals is foolish as they are more likely to be flawed. People are good judges of what they know - making the young bad to get political advice from.

Aristotle says that most people hold the opinion that happiness is the chief good that people aim for. Aristotle identifies a person's chief good as the single end result that we pursue. We must remember that ends are not always final ends. One end often leads to another and then another, therefore there can only be one final end - something that is desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else. Happiness is the end and final result of many of the virtues we have. Aristotle says the final good should also be self-sufficient - fulfilling when isolated and lacking nothing.

Aristotle defines happiness as coming from a complete life full of activity of the soul, a rational principle, in accordance with virtue (the best virtue possible). This must be throughout the entire life, not just one day, hence the use of "complete life." Human virtue, that of the soul, depends on the structure of the soul. Each soul is made of two different parts, the irrational and the rational principle.

Aristotle says that two virtues, intellect and morality, correspond to reason. One of the reasons that he says virtues can't be created by nature is that our virtues tend to come from habits, and we cannot create a habit that is contrary to our nature making the source of morality convention. The only way we an become skilled in an area is by performing that medium, moral actions being performed leads to better moral actions/behavior (habits).

Aristotle breaks the human personality into three elements: passions, faculties, and sates of character. He believes that morality comes from states of character as passions and faculties are not, in themselves, worthy of praise. Being a state of character it makes man good and makes his work good too. For us to do this we must seek the intermediate that is correct for what is right.

He finally defines virtue as a state of character concerned with choice involving a mean between excess and defect in what is right. We use rational principle to help us decide. When there is excess fearlessness (a mean) we get rashness, but under doing it and we get a coward. Temperance can become self-indulgence and lacking, a person could be called "insensible." Liberality becomes prodigality or meanness.

The intellectual virtues, ones that exercise reason, have the task of give us knowledge of the world around us and to help provide a rational guide for action throughout our day. Virtues show that we have practical wisdom, not forms of practical wisdom as Socrates would have us believe.

Aristotle wishes people choose activities based on how good they are not based on the amount of pleasure that they produce. A good activity will have pleasure, but pleasure does not necessarily produce goodness - making the good activity better than the pleasurable one.

Happiness aligns with virtue, so we should seek the highest of virtues. If our activity is in accordance with this highest virtue than we should find the perfect happiness. Aristotle believes that philosophic wisdom is the pleasant of virtuous activities. A man who seeks and contemplates truth becomes self-sufficient. We work so that we may have free time and we make war so that we may have peace.

If we live lives that are full of reason that is best and pleasantest we will live the happiest of lives, as reason is human.

Discussion Questions/Comments

I find it interesting that Aristotle believe that "true student of politics wishes to make his fellow citizens good and obedient to the laws." I want to know how he is defining laws. Is he talking virtue? If he is I feel that "obedient" is an odd word choice as you should want people to adopt virtues and make them their own, not follow because they must be "obedient."

I didn't really follow what Aristotle was trying to say about the rational and irrational principles of the soul in #7. Could you clear that up please?

What is he talking about with picking the "intermediate?" I understand what he is saying...just not why he is talking about it. Was it only so he could connect it to the 'mean of character?'

Can you have excess "right"? Wouldn't that just be a more moral, just, and good world? Or are we talking about when a virtue becomes a vice?

I don't understand what he means when he says that "philosophic wisdom is the pleasant of virtuous activities." Does he mean virtuous actions or the process of thinking about/creating morals?

Key Terms/Definitions

Teleology: the explaining of phenomena by the purpose they serve rather than by the postulated causes
Politics (Aristotle): ethics and social philosophy
Self-sufficient (Aristotle): fulfilling when isolated and lacking nothing


Analogous: comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared
Defect: a shortcoming, imperfection, or lack
Prodigality: spending money and resources freely and recklessly