Reflection of Aristotle Essay - 999 Words

Reflection of Aristotle Aristotle believed that the goal of all human life is to achieve ultimate happiness. Happiness is the final Utopia or the end of â€Å"a life worth living.† Human instinct is characterized by achieving personal fulfillment, thus leading to happiness. Aristotle warns against going astray and â€Å"preferring a life suitable to beasts† by assuming happiness and pleasure are equal. Living a life preferred by beasts incapacitates a person from achieving the end Utopia. Even though Aristotle does not equate the two, he does stress that minimal pleasure is required to achieve happiness. Someone lacking in vital necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter are not capable of achieving happiness due to their lack of pleasure.†¦show more content†¦A moral person will make choices out of good faith; choosing what is good for the sake of being good. Moral choices must be done voluntarily not by coincidence or ignorance. Someone cannot be deemed a hero due to their own mishap. Someone accidentally going the wrong way down a one-way-street blocks a get-away car from passing. The traffic-violator cannot take credit for stopping the criminals due to coincidence by his default in directions. Actions done by ignorance cannot be rationalized to be substantially moral. A person may act by reason of ignorance or act in ignorance. Acting by reason of ignorance is done by acting on good intentions without realizing potential danger and does not exempt a person from morality. A nurse distributing milk to patients may give a lactose intolerant patient chocolate milk instead of soy milk not realizing that the chocolate milk will make the patient sick (which she would definitely loose her job). The nurse had good intentions but she fell short and caused more damage. Acting in ignorance cannot be justified to due incapacitation or other unusual circumstances. A drug user cannot justify a bank robbery because of the voices in his head. If he would not hav e participated in drug use then the voices would not have told him to rob a bank. Actions done due to fear or accident are exempt from the moral realm. Aristotle taught that a virtuous person must obtain both dimensions in order to achieveShow MoreRelatedWhat We Don t Talk About Service1324 Words   |  6 Pageseudaimonia, as the ultimate goal of a good and successful human life, achieved through habitual practices of moral virtues. Unlike a contemporary understanding of happiness (a type of feeling), happiness to the Greeks was an â€Å"activity of soul† - a reflection of a person’s position in the community and mindfully acting to live in a good way (happiness as an action). In â€Å"What We Don’t Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Service,† Adam Davis discusses a modern application of these â€Å"good† actions usingRead MorePlato Vs. Aristotle On Observational And Deductive Reasoning1139 Words   |  5 Pagesthe attention of notable figures such as Plato and his pupil Aristotle. Although both Plato and Aristotle shared many similar notions of order and an eternal universe, their methods of inquisition as well as their theories of reality and truth vary significantly. This difference would eventually lead them to develop vary different notions of real knowledge. Plato primarily focusing on theoretical and mathematical proofs while Aristotle on observational and deductive reasoning primarily in the fieldRead MoreGreek Philosophies Impact On The Early Development Of Christian Thought1348 Words   |  6 Pagesuse of Aristotle in the formation of the Christian mind. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, believed that all humans had a purpose and that the purpose was for the greater good. However, the good life or the blessed life for Aquinas and Augustine was heaven. For Greek thinkers like Aristotle or even Plato, human actions derived from reason, rationality, and intellect. Christian thinkers like Augustine saw ph ilosophical reflection as a complement to theology. Those philosophical reflections were basedRead MoreAristotles Contributions to the World: An Analysis1368 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Aristotle Aristotle Introduction If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. Law is order, and good law is good order. Man is by nature a political animal. ~Aristotle Philosophers, historians, scientists, politicians and other professionals across many disciplines consider Aristotle to be one of the greatest and prolific figures of the civilization of AncientRead MoreAbsolute Realism Vs. Hylemorphism1309 Words   |  6 Pagesless valuable in modern times, as two of the most eminent ancient thinkers in the history of philosophy, their works continue to have great historical value. In the realm of metaphysics, Plato and Aristotle are both regarded as realists, and their philosophical ideas hold some similarities, but Aristotle is more considered as â€Å"moderate realist,† compared to Plato as an â€Å"absolute realist.† Generally speaking, Plato’s interpretation of â€Å"what is real,† reflected in his absolute realism, differs fromRead MorePlatos Allegory of the Cave1521 Words   |  7 Pagesrelation to the theory of the Divided Line. This essay will analyze major points in The Allegory of the Cave and see how it rel ates to the Theory of the Divided Line. Also, this essay will attempt to critique the dialogue from the point of view of Aristotle, Plato’s student, using his theories and beliefs. In the beginning, Plato states that there are a group of people sitting in a cave who face a wall and cannot turn around or move. Behind them is a fire and a curtain, behind which are people whoRead MoreOedipus Rex As Modern Tragedy : Catharsis Or Cognitive Emotion883 Words   |  4 Pagesof harrowing events set in motion by the Gods and unwittingly furthered by the actions of the king. Aristotle believed that Oedipus Rex was the prime example of the tragedy; however, modern readers might entertain that the play is unworthy of such praise. In this paper I will put forth the argument that Oedipus Rex, though heartfelt, no longer meets the requirements of tragedy as defined by Aristotle and that, rather than engendering catharsis, the work exemplifies a near-inevitable decline in theRead More The Perspective of Plato and Aristotle on the Value of Art Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesThe Perspective of Plato and Aristotle on the Value of Art    As literary critics, Plato and Aristotle disagree profoundly about the value of art in human society. Plato attempts to strip artists of the power and prominence they enjoy in his society, while Aristotle tries to develop a method of inquiry to determine the merits of an individual work of art. It is interesting to note that these two disparate notions of art are based upon the same fundamental assumption: that art is a form of mimesisRead MoreSimilarities Of Plato And Aristotle1617 Words   |  7 PagesPlato and Aristotle made and still have make a huge impact upon mankind, which makes people question their original values.Although Aristotle and Plato had many distinctions both of them impact many different arguments referring to the important components of life.. The two philosophers were crucial to the development of rethoric and made a big impact on society.. Although most of the attitudes towards them where indisputable, many citizens did not agree with them changing peopleâ₠¬â„¢s perceptions, fearingRead MorePhysics by Aristotle Essay547 Words   |  3 PagesPhysics by Aristotle Aristotle begins by describing the meaning of the words â€Å"nature† and â€Å"natural.† He identifies the meaning of each, and also explains some common phrases which include each of the words. He says all natural things have a principle of motion and of stationariness. He also says that natural things are composed of stone, earth, or a mixture of the two. According to him, artificial products do not possess the source of their own production. For example, the nature