Aristotles Doctrine of the Mean - 1242 Words

In this essay we will discuss and analyze Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean. This topic area can be found in Book II, page 888, 6—15, through 890, 25. The purpose for Aristotle touching on this subject matter was to discern the states of character which are virtuous from those which are not. By this, I mean he is attempting to categorize which virtues are causal of a human â€Å"to be in a good state and to perform their functions well†(888—15). In order to keep this paper orderly and comprehensible, we will work in chronological order through Aristotle’s variety of premises and conclusions which lead to his main idea which is ––––––––––––. Aristotle begins his discussion on deficiency, intermediate, and excess by introducing what he is†¦show more content†¦We can prove this by looking at the opposite situation and reducing it down to an absurdity. Suppose o ne is dining in a fine restaurant. Also suppose the perfect amount of steak to eat relative to him is 3 ounces and he orders a steak of the finest quality but the portion served is 6 ounces. 6 ounces in this case is considered excess and 0 ounces considered deficient. He should restrict eating the entire portion for if he did he may feel excessively full and therefore the steak which was once the finest now seems to him the worst. If he did not eat any at all he would not accomplish his goal of nursing himself. It seems so then that deficiency or excess may also cause one to be in a state of false reality. This concept is what Aristotle is explaining when he refers to ruining a good result. The person who is align with the intermediate is therefore closer to truth. However, returning back to Pythagorean terminology, Aristotle divulges into what is limited versus unlimited. The former being the good and the latter being badness. It follows that the good is what is few and more diffic ult to realize and bad is what is great and easy to realize. Let us now look to another example to demonstrate our understanding. Suppose we are looking at someone preparing for a test. If he is to study day in and day out he is likely to become tired, resulting in a poor score. This is the excess andShow MoreRelatedAristotles Doctrine of the Mean525 Words   |  2 Pagesand the false. But Aristotle shows that knowing the natural end of man enables to tell if it is true of false that an action is right or wrong. So, for Aristotle, what does the vituous life entails? What is his doctrine of the mean? What is the government type that further Aristotles virtue life? Is it a plausible type of society? Virtue is bringing something to perfection. There are two kinds of virtues: the moral virtues, perfecting desire (who submits to reason) for the action, and intellectualRead More Aristotles Doctrine of the Mean Essay1017 Words   |  5 PagesAristotles Doctrine of the Mean When we consider the questions of how we ought to live our lives, we often seek for some schematic that we can employ to help us categorize actions or qualities as good, bad, or indifferent. Such a means of organization would indeed make it easier to determine what the right thing to do is. Aristotle once attempted to formulate a similar plan. His ethics used a scheme by which characteristics could be measured and the right amount attained. Such an account isRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Me Underpin Aristotle s Account Of Citizen Virtue?899 Words   |  4 PagesTo what extent, and how, does ‘the doctrine of the mean’ underpin Aristotle’s account of citizen virtue? 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Plato’s metaphysics actuallyRead MoreExamining the Ethics of Plato and Aristotle Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pagesindependent of anyone’s opinion. This was how Plato perceived absolutism. Aristotle’s overlook on what is the ‘good life’ as he used an empirical approach to ethics. The ‘good life’ as Aristotle defines it as one which has happiness as a characteristic or ‘a life of happiness’. ‘Happiness is an activity of the soul in accord with perfect virtue’. ‘People ought to behave so as to achieve happiness’. I believe that Aristotle’s answer will be everyone always ought to follow the middle course betweenRead MoreAristotles Theory of Slavery1295 Words   |  6 PagesSome aspects of Aristotles theory of slavery Slavery -- natural or conventional? Aristoles theory of slavery is found in Book I, Chapters iii through vii of the Politics. and in Book VII of the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle raises the question of whether slavery is natural or conventional. He asserts that the former is the case. So, Aristotles theory of slavery holds that some people are naturally slaves and others are naturally masters. Thus he says: But is there any one thus intendedRead MoreAristotle s Highest Good Theorem1037 Words   |  5 PagesPhil 100 A01 Essay 2 Aristotle’s Highest Good Theorem When Aristotle first published his work entitled â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics†, you can imagine that numerous philosophers, scholars, and ordinary citizens were deeply contemplating his idea of the Highest Good Through the actions of virtue and reason, the act contemplation satisfies Aristotle’s characteristics as the Highest Good Being a self-sufficient, and complete activity, the ability to understand our function as human beings through contemplation