Nicomachean Ethics PDF

3/6/2015
The name given to Aristotles best-known work

on ethics
It consist of 10 books based on his lectures at

Lyceum
It is considered as an important historical
philosophical works which directly affects
medieval philosophy
The Greek world during Aristotles time is made up

of city-states.
Aristotles students were young citizens whose tuition

was meant to prepare them for a life of civic duty.
slaves, laborers and women - did all the work to

provide the necessary food, shelter, and equipment
citizens - adult males, most of whom had been born
to citizen parents and they govern the city
All citizens were expected to take part in public office.
All Greek citizens were expected to voice their own

opinions in large deliberative and judicial assemblies.
There was a strong bond of kinship created in
citizenship, as the same people lived together, governed
together, served in the army together, and enjoyed
leisure time together.
From Greek word eudaimonia
For Aristotle, this happiness is our highest goal
Platos Theory of Forms
That this system was exploitative is hardly

debatable, but it also produced an incredible array of
philosophy, drama, art, and architecture.
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Translation of the Greek word arte
Disposition to behave in the right manner, which is

inculcated from a young age
Two kinds: intellectual & moral
Doctrine of the Mean
Courage consists of confidence in the face of fear

Temperance consists of not giving in too easily to
pleasures and physical sensation
Liberality and magnificence consist of giving away
varying amounts of money in appropriate and tasteful
ways
Magnanimity and proper ambition consist of having the
right disposition toward honor and knowing what is
ones due
The biggest and highly important question in any ethical

investigation
Virtue clearly is not something that can be taught in a

classroom or by means of argument
Moral education is something that is learned through

constant practice which begins since a very young age
just like the skills we learned in life
Design not to make people good rather tell people what

is good, why is it good and how we might build societies
that inculcate this goodness
Excellence and virtue requires practice first before the

theoretical study
Patience is the appropriate disposition to anger though

anger is sometimes appropriate
Social Virtues: amiability, sincerity and wit
Modesty (though not a virtue) is the appropriate
disposition toward shame
Intellectual Virtues: scientific knowledge, intuition and
wisdom (contemplative reasoning) and art/technical
skills and prudence (calculative reasoning)
Prudence helps in proper reasoning about ethical
matters
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Our account of this science will be

adequate if it achieves such clarity as the
subject-matter allows; for the same
degree of precision is not to be expected
in all discussions, any more than in all
products of handicraft.
Book II of Nicomachean Ethics
Virtue is a mean state between extremes of EXCESS

and DEFICIENCY
Virtue, like health, is produced and preserved by

avoiding extremes
Mean relative to us
Virtue is a mean relative to us
CORE ASPECTS
Each virtue is a mean between two vices, one of

excess and one of deficiency
MEAN RELATIVE TO US
Mean amount
Absolute mean or Mean relative to the thing itself

Mean relative to us
Avoid what is too much and

what is too little, seek for the
mean
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A person cannot really have one virtue in its

entirety without having all of the virtues in their
entirety, its all or nothing.
We cannot call people properly virtuous if they
fail to exhibit all of the virtues.
Aristotle lists a number of virtues, he sees them all

as coming from the same source. A virtuous person
is characterized as a person who exhibits all the
virtues.
Virtues are ordered with relations, which

encompasses between, seemingly conflicting
virtues. The virtues are united and interconnected,
there can be no conflict between them.
Aristotle lists a number of virtues, he sees them all

as coming from the same source. A virtuous person
is characterized as a person who exhibits all the
virtues.
Virtues are ordered with relations, which

encompasses between, seemingly conflicting
virtues. The virtues are united and interconnected,
there can be no conflict between them.
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Happiness is a public affair; therefore,

with whom we share our happiness is of
great importance.
Friendship consists of a mutual feeling of
goodwill between two people.
3 Kinds of Friendship
Friendship based on utility
Friendship based on pleasure
Friendship based on goodness
There are some relationships in which

unequal exchanges are being employed
like father-son, ruler-subject, etc.
Aristotle explains that friendship is the act
of loving rather than the act of being
loved.
In Book X, Aristotle ultimately concludes that

contemplation is the highest human activity.
In discussing the various intellectual virtues,
Aristotle extols wisdom as the
The activity of wisdom is contemplation, so
contemplation must be the highest activity of
human life.
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This consists in the fullest expression

of reason in us.
The highest form of happiness is

contemplation
The life of contemplation is the only

life pursued completely for itself.
Only a god could spend an entire

lifetime occupied with nothing but
contemplation, but we should try to
approximate this godlike activity as
best we can.
The wise person is the happiest of all.
Important Quotes Explained
[C]ontemplation is both the highest form of

activity (since the intellect is the highest thing in
us, and the objects that it apprehends are the
highest things that can be known), and also it is
the most continuous, because we are more
capable of continuous contemplation than we
are of any practical activity.
Important Quotes Explained
[T]he good for man is an activity of the soul in

accordance with virtue, or if there are more
kinds of virtue than one, in accordance with the
best and most perfect kind.

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3/6/2015

The name given to Aristotles best-known work

It consist of 10 books based on his lectures at

The Greek world during Aristotles time is made up

Aristotles students were young citizens whose tuition

slaves, laborers and women - did all the work to

All citizens were expected to take part in public office.

All Greek citizens were expected to voice their own

From Greek word eudaimonia

For Aristotle, this happiness is our highest goal

Platos Theory of Forms

That this system was exploitative is hardly

Translation of the Greek word arte

Disposition to behave in the right manner, which is

Two kinds: intellectual & moral

Doctrine of the Mean

Courage consists of confidence in the face of fear

The biggest and highly important question in any ethical

Virtue clearly is not something that can be taught in a

Moral education is something that is learned through

Design not to make people good rather tell people what

Excellence and virtue requires practice first before the

Patience is the appropriate disposition to anger though

Our account of this science will be

Book II of Nicomachean Ethics

Virtue is a mean state between extremes of EXCESS

Virtue, like health, is produced and preserved by

Virtue is a mean relative to us

Each virtue is a mean between two vices, one of

Absolute mean or Mean relative to the thing itself

Avoid what is too much and

A person cannot really have one virtue in its

Aristotle lists a number of virtues, he sees them all

Virtues are ordered with relations, which

Aristotle lists a number of virtues, he sees them all

Virtues are ordered with relations, which

Happiness is a public affair; therefore,

There are some relationships in which

In Book X, Aristotle ultimately concludes that

This consists in the fullest expression

The highest form of happiness is

The life of contemplation is the only

Only a god could spend an entire

The wise person is the happiest of all.

Important Quotes Explained

[C]ontemplation is both the highest form of

Important Quotes Explained

[T]he good for man is an activity of the soul in

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