Aristotle Revies Book 1 2 and 3 of Nicomachean Ethics
Ethics
Summary- Book 1
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics book one, he starts of describing “good”. He believes that every activity humans do is to achieve a good. The satisfactory goals we have are to achieve a greater good. And our highest good is classified as the supreme good. Politics is a form of this good. But it cannot be classified as the supreme good because what is good for one may not be good for another.
The supreme good to humans would be happiness. But what constitutes happiness? Humans would be more driven to say a sensual pleasure but this is not all true. This would be only the animal instinct but humans equate happiness with so much more. There are three types of life—that thriving on sensual pleasure, the political, and thirdly the contemplative life. Most prefer the sensual desires of happiness. Honor shows recognition of goodness therefore being honored cannot be the highest goodness.
In Plato’s theory of forms he implies that there is one good thing that all good things have in common. This theory does not hold to be true when what everyone considers to be good is different. The diversity in all things humans consider to be good could not have one single unifying form of good. So interest switch from the good to how can someone be good? How can some one achieve being good?
Happiness is the highest good because it has a sufficient end in itself. Intelligence and virtue are good because they make us happy.
We say people are “good” if they perform their function/occupation/talent well. Such as a person who can play the flute. If they play the flute well they are a good flutist; playing the flute being the distinct function of the flutiest. Distinct rational activity is what separates us from plants and animals. Therefore the supreme good is an activity in which is in rational accordance with virtue. This is in accordance with the views of a happy person. A happy person is seen as rational, virtuous and active.
Summary- Book 1
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics book one, he starts of describing “good”. He believes that every activity humans do is to achieve a good. The satisfactory goals we have are to achieve a greater good. And our highest good is classified as the supreme good. Politics is a form of this good. But it cannot be classified as the supreme good because what is good for one may not be good for another.
The supreme good to humans would be happiness. But what constitutes happiness? Humans would be more driven to say a sensual pleasure but this is not all true. This would be only the animal instinct but humans equate happiness with so much more. There are three types of life—that thriving on sensual pleasure, the political, and thirdly the contemplative life. Most prefer the sensual desires of happiness. Honor shows recognition of goodness therefore being honored cannot be the highest goodness.
In Plato’s theory of forms he implies that there is one good thing that all good things have in common. This theory does not hold to be true when what everyone considers to be good is different. The diversity in all things humans consider to be good could not have one single unifying form of good. So interest switch from the good to how can someone be good? How can some one achieve being good?
Happiness is the highest good because it has a sufficient end in itself. Intelligence and virtue are good because they make us happy.
We say people are “good” if they perform their function/occupation/talent well. Such as a person who can play the flute. If they play the flute well they are a good flutist; playing the flute being the distinct function of the flutiest. Distinct rational activity is what separates us from plants and animals. Therefore the supreme good is an activity in which is in rational accordance with virtue. This is in accordance with the views of a happy person. A happy person is seen as rational, virtuous and active.