Also like virtue, vice is a disposition to behave in a certain way. Because decision involves reason and thought, what is decided must first have been deliberated. The nicomachean ethics, frequently referred to as the ethics or aristotles ethics, is aristotles bestknown work on ethics and is one of the most influential works in western moral theory. Those highest ends, which we pursue for their own sake, must be the supreme good. The highest ends are ends in themselves, while subordinate ends may only be means to higher ends. Since the object of aristotle s inquiry is to become good, its necessary to consider the correct ways of acting, since these result in the states we acquire. First, actions should accord with the correct reason. It consists of ten books all of them originally written as separate scrolls and is based on aristotles notes from his lectures at the lyceum, the ancient university founded by the great philosopher in athens in 334 bce. Humans are a higher form of animal, and animals respond to pleasure and pain. Aristotles doctrine of the mean, outlined in section 2, begins with a general explanation he will gradually defend. All things are to be understood in terms of their purposes, the ends.
Nicomachean ethics pdf summary aristotle 12min blog. Courage, temperance, liberality, magnificence, proper pride, ambition, good temper. Like virtue, it is developed from a young age through habit and practice. Nicomachean ethics study guide contains a biography of aristotle, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. With regard to justice in distribution, the just is the intermediate between fair and unfair. Taylor presents a clear and faithful new translatio. Nicomachean ethics pdf summary the nicomachean ethics is aristotles bestknown work on ethics and, quite possibly, the most influential book on the subject ever written. Aristotle on pleasure, pain, virtue, and vice nic ethics book 2 philosophy core concepts duration. Since things that are found in the soul are of three, faculties, states of character, virtue must be one of these.
Nicomachean ethics is part of a vast scientific and philosophical system to which a teleological view of the universe is basic. The study of the good is part of political science, because politics concerns itself with securing the highest ends for human life. Aristotle, the nicomachean ethics book 6 introduction to. Decisionas opposed to mere appetite, wish, or beliefis also proper to virtue. A person with the virtue of temperance is disposed to behave temperately and will think of temperance as the correct form of behavior. For this reason also the question is asked, whether happiness is to be acquired by learning or by habituation or some other sort of training, or comes in. Book 5, chapter 2 1a1411a9 for now, aristotle wants to focus on justice as a virtueand injustice as a vice.
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