Virtue (Aristotle)

Virtue is central to well-lived life

-in order to live well, proper appreciation of way in which goods as friendship, pleasure, virtue, honor and wealth fit together as whole

-Nicomachean eithics: 2 types of virtue

Virtue of thought: need experience + time

-divided into 2 parts: theoretical reasoning and practical

theo= nous [mind] part that cannot die

-episteme

-theoretical wisdom

CAN'T CHANGE

practical = craft knowledge

practical wisdom

CAN CHANGE

-Cleverness = pure means and reason

-does not = intelligence, rather needs it

-can't be intelligent without virtue to figure out right thing to do, without virtue = cleverness

-intelligence needs cleverness to know how to get what you want

VoC

-first develop proper habits, and then with reason/acquire practical wisdom

-ethical virtue

-does not arise in us naturally, because if something is by nature, habit can't change it

-virtues doesn't arise by nature nor against nature

-by nature able to acquire them, and reach perfection through habit

-have capacity for it, display activity later

-acquire them by previously activating them

-sources and means that develop virtue also ruin it

-ie: playing on a harp makes bad harpist, as well as good harpist

-state of character arises from similar activities

=arete = excellence in fulfillment of particular function

-tend to be ruined by deficiency or excess

3 internal disorders = 1. person just good at resisting, not virtuous [continent]

-2. person doesn't resist [incontinent]
3. person doesnt resist because virtue has no value [evil]

-Epicurians

-they were atomists, believed in downward reign of atoms

-problem: free will? how do atoms get together to form universe? Free will?

-if you knew present conditon + laws of physics, know state of universe forever

Solution: serve of random atoms

-In principle, not determinable

-Counterexample: still doesn't say there is choice because atoms' reaction is still govern by physics

-random serve, no further explanation

-does solve existence of universe

"hule" = matter

Morphic = form

--> to analyze objects into matter and form

Form = primary substance because matter cannot exist without form

Matter can change but form can remain the same [ship example]

soul = name for form

Potential and Actual -> matter is material that can potentially be something

Stoicism

-say to yourself things are things so that when it passes it will not be

-remember to say to yourself when you are fond

-first step towards stoicism --> order desires + overcome fears

-helps let go of things not under control

-things under control by nature are free, unhindered

-things not under control by nature are weak, servile, hindered

-explain change [Aristotle]

-1.material=potentially some form until actualizing form

-2.formal=form/structure

-3.efficient= cause and effect, agent responsible for matter's manifesting form/structure

-4.final="telos" = for realizing form/structure

-complete explanation you will need all 4

-not everything has all 4 [ie geometric figures have no effective cause]

The philosopher as dog

Diogenes

wanted to endure everything

-story of lying in sand during summer, huging statues in winter to teach body to survive

-simple life = happiness --> theme of life/teachings

-nature vs convention: most conventions contrary to nature

-philosophy taken as something essential to happy life

-practice = perfect, get used to things

Friendship

-Aristotle

-"philia" relationship held among family members

-3 main reasons for friendship

1. other person is good

-spend time with each other to engage in activities that exerce their virtue - one kind of friendship

-equally virtuous, friendship = perfect

-enjoy fully trust and companionship of other

-large gap in moral development [mother and child] then relationship based on other person's good character; imperfect because of inequality

-2. other person is useful

-3. other person is pleasant [pleasure]

-good will = "eunoia" is wanting what is good for the sake of another

-mostly friendship based on character

-hard to obtain perfect friendship

-need to spend a lot of time and activities with other person

-Happiness in life = look for moderate pleasure

-moderate because extreme pleasure in long run = pain [measures out pleasure against pain]

-problems: estimating is hard

-distorting judgement from past experiences

-probability

-right in front of you might exaggerate pleasure

-weakness of will --> right estimate, wrong choice

-good life = eliminate pain in body and soul by correctly estimating pleasure and to pursue only those while detaching self from all pleasure that are not good

-piece of mind = quiet life

-one thing intrisnsically good = pleasure

-lin run, only will be happy if concern self with necessary pleasures

-greatest fear = death

-overcome death, overcome fear in life

-painful only in anticipation

-wise dont reject life, nor fear death

happy life must have pleasure, so pleasure is not bad by nature

highest good, but not the good

-since not the good, who choose pleasures by looking at accompanying activities and its goodness

-goos is that at which all things aim

-happiest human resembles life of a divine being

-gods = continually enjoy 'single and simple pleasure'

-unmoved mover = pleasure of pure thought

-best pleasures are ones experienced by vriuous people with sufficient resources for excellent activity

-pleasure = unimpeded activity of a natural state [not process]

-activity that accompanies other activities in some sense brings them to completion

-healthy condition of body and virtuous condition of soul

-virtuous activity is impeded by the absence of sufficient supply of external goods

-counterargument: sick people enjoy pleasure

-CA1. sick people experience good by being restored to health, the pleasure is caused by fact that he is no longer completely ill. some part of him is in natural state and is acting without impediment

2. what seems to be pleasant to some people may not be pleasant'

to call something pleasure is not only to report state of mind but to also endorse it to others

"bad without qualification" even if it is good, only choose in constraining situation

ie: recovering from illness

VoC - every virtue concerned with actions/feelings

correct virtue is pleasure/pain but in contrary

Symbol of Epicurians

turning inward rather than outward towards responsibilities of polis

-cultivate your own garden = seeking peace, securing happiness by cultivating soul and virtues, control over soul, like Socrates

originally for Epicurus to get away from city

-3. Foreknowledge doesn’t make someone do something. Free will still exists