Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an indepth summary and analysis of book 5. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A crucial distinction exists between being virtuous and acting virtuously. The internet classics archive nicomachean ethics by aristotle.
We should observe first that the good for man is an activity. The nicomachean ethics is very often abbreviated ne, or en, and books and chapters are generally referred to by roman and arabic numerals, respectively, along with corresponding bekker numbers. Aristotle admits that his comparison between crafts and virtues doesnt hold in every way. One by one, aristotle discusses the various moral virtues and their corresponding vices. Aristotle waits until book ten to complete the logic set forth in book one with regard to determining the ultimate good for man by examining a human beings highest capacities. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does.
Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Jun 23, 2016 aristotle on selflove and love of friends nicomachean ethics book 9 philosophy core concepts duration. Humans are a higher form of animal, and animals respond to pleasure and pain. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an indepth summary and analysis of book 8. See pictures of whole pages ruined by photocopying. While acknowledging that our dispositions are not voluntary in the same sense that our. Courage consists of confidence in the face of fear. The work, which plays a preeminent role in defining aristotelian ethics, consists of ten books, originally separate scrolls, and is understood to be based on notes from his lectures at the. A summary of book ii in aristotles nicomachean ethics.
Temperance consists of not giving in too easily to the pleasures of physical sensation. Book ii 1 virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes both its birth and its growth to teaching for which reason it requires experience and time, while moral virtue comes about as a result of habit, whence also its name ethike is one that is formed by a slight variation from the word ethos habit. As already mentioned in the analysis of book one, aristotle holds that the happiness of man can be defined by determining the function proper to man. Liberality and magnificence consist of giving away varying amounts of money in appropriate and tasteful ways. This is not laziness on aristotles part, but, as he explains, the nature of the beast. Intellectual virtues are developed through teaching, and moral virtues through habit. Study guide book 2 aristotle nicomachean ethics study. Nicomachean ethics aristotle oxford university press. If playback doesnt begin shortly, try restarting your.
While this is a friendship of utility and therefore not the best, it is important. Aristotles nichomachean ethics begins with a simple premise, which is that everyone wants to be happy. The nicomachean ethics aristotle oxford university press. As we have noticed before reference to this topic has been made in some of the earlier books but there were questions which still remained and it was for the. Commentary on aristotles nicomachean ethics aristotelian. In books viii and ix of his masterpiece of moral philosophy, the. Taylor presents a clear and faithful new translatio. Need help with book 2 in aristotles nicomachean ethics. The letter when readable at all is ugly and difficult to read. It will serve newcomers as an informative, accessible introduction to the nicomachean ethics and to many issues in aristotles philosophy, but also has much to offer advanced scholars. Aristotle translated by david ross and edited by lesley brown oxford worlds classics. The work, which plays a preeminent role in defining aristotelian ethics, consists of ten books, originally separate scrolls, and is understood to be based on notes from his lectures at the lyceum. Addressing the question of how men should best live, aristotles treatise is not a mere philosophical meditation on the subject, but a practical examination that aims to provide a guide for living out its recommendations. Jun 27, 2016 aristotle on virtue as the mean nicomachean ethics bk.
As the opposite of bestiality it will be most suitable to speak of superhuman virtue, or goodness on. Nicomachean ethics by aristotle it is the purpose of the study of ethics to discover the nature of the highest good and to find the appropriate means for its realisation. Commentary on the nicomachean ethics by thomas aquinas translated by c. The discussion concerning incontinence which occupies the greater portion of this book brings to light an important characteristic of greek ethics and one that stands in sharp contrast with the views presented in the judeochristian tradition. In regard to justice 1 and injustice, we have to enquire what sort of actions precisely they are concerned with, in what sense justice is the observance of a mean, and what are the extremes between which that which is just is a mean. Aristotles nicomachean ethics explained with book summaries in just a few minutes.
Aristotle identifies ethical virtue as a habit, disposed toward action by deliberate choice, being at the mean relative to us, and defined by reason as a prudent man would define it 1107a. Here aristotle describes the relationship between ethics and politics, saying that politics is essentially ethics on a larger scale cf. 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. In this lecture from my fall 2011 ethics class at marist college, we discuss aristotles nichomachean ethics book 2, specifically. Nicomachean ethics 5 good judge of that subject, and the man who has received an allround education is a good. He is of a disposition to do men service, though he is ashamed to have a service done to him. Virtue, then, is of two sorts, virtue of thought and virtue of character. This work presents the nicomachean ethics in a fresh english translation by christopher rowe that strives to be meticulously accurate yet also accessible.
Other articles where nichomachean ethics is discussed. This statement, which appears in book i, chapter 3, is the first of a number of caveats with which aristotle warns us not to expect any precise rules or codes of conduct. In friendships with dissimilar aims, aristotle says, there has to be an equalizer of some sort. For example, its not enough that action in accordance with the virtues be done. Aristotles doctrine of the mean, outlined in section 2, begins with a general explanation he will gradually defend. This new edition of one of the founding texts of moral philosophy combines david rosss classic translation, lightly revised by lesley brown, with a new and invaluable introduction and notes to aid readers in their understanding of aristotles intricate arguments. About 25% of the book s pages has some kind of defect. Taken together, these works emphasize aristotles conviction that the political art is the highest goodsince it encompasses the good ends desired by every part of the.
Now ruled by far off people the individual finds their morality through their place in the universe rather than through any social or political framework. Aristotles nicomachean ethics, book 2 ethics and moral theory. The nicomachean ethicsalong with an earlier inquiry called the eudemian ethicsare part of a larger conversation about community that culminates in his work politics. How does moral virtue arise in human beings as described in book 1. Though written more than 2,000 years ago, it offers the modern reader many valuable insights into human needs and conduct. Aristotle ethics book ii summary and argument youtube. The outside of the book is very nice and the binding is high quality. The translation is accompanied by sarah broadies detailed linebyline commentary, which brings out the subtlety of aristotles thought as it develops from moment to moment. The goodness of an action can, in part, be measured by the ends it is intended to reach. Here, we go through a brief summary, and my argument on aristotles ethics, book ii. If youre remotely interested in a thorough account of aristotles work, and parsing out the argumentation especially in book 6 this is the gold standard. The commentary is noteworthy for its frequent citations of relevant passages from other works in aristotles. Analysis for book x it seems appropriate that the closing book of the ethics should be devoted to a discussion of pleasure and its place in the good life.
The nicomachean ethics, aristotles most important study of personal morality and the ends of human life, has for many centuries been a widelyread and influential book. Among its most outstanding features are aristotles insistence that there are no known. The superior friend gains nothing tangible, but he does earn honor, which is nobler. Virtue is the mean nicomachean ethics book 2 ch 6 duration. The greep philosopher aristotle wrote a great work in ten books, nicomachean ethics in which he expounds on a set of values. Socrates suggestion in platos republic, book ii, that he discuss the justice of the state, rather than of the individual, since the. Book 5, chapter 2 1a1411a9 for now, aristotle wants to focus on justice as a virtueand injustice as a vice. The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology. The greek text of the nicomachean ethics is bywaters oxford edition 1962. Ross book i chapter 1 every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good.
Aristotle now discusses what virtue or excellence must be. Book i 1 every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good. This study guide consists of approximately 44 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of nicomachean ethics. Let us next begin a fresh part of the subject by laying down that the states of moral character to be avoided are of three kindsvice, unrestraint, and bestiality. Start studying aristotles nicomachean ethics book 3. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in nicomachean ethics, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Aristotles nicomachean ethics, book 2 ethics and moral theory duration.
This quotation from book i, chapter 7, connects aristotles conception of happiness and the good life with his conception of virtue. Happiness or flourishing or living well is a complete and sufficient good. Nicomachean ethics aristotle mcmaster faculty of social. Nicomachean ethics by aristotle book ii summary and analysis. Happiness, the end and supreme good of the happy person. There must be one final end of all human actions, because a human action by definition is one that is done on purpose and for a definite goal. Virtue being, as we have seen, of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue is for the most part both produced and increased by instruction, and therefore requires experience and time. Aristotle calls happiness an activity, or energeia, in book i, meaning that happiness is not an emotional state but a way of life. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including nicomachean ethics. For example, courage is a mean of fearness and rashness. All the characteristics that people look for in happiness virtue, practical wisdom, theoretical wisdom, prosperity, etc. Any friendship that cant achieve this sort of proportionalitysuch as a friendship in which one person loves for pleasure and the other. The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently.
Justice is a mean of an extreme distribution and too equal distribution. 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. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of nicomachean ethics and what it means. In the course of exposing how aquinas misread aristotle, jaffa provides his own convincing interpretation of the ethics, along with keys to the works structure. Chapter summary for aristotles nicomachean ethics, book 2 summary. Aristotles nicomachean ethics book 3 flashcards quizlet. Happiness is exhibited not in how we are but in how we act.
The first arises mostly from teaching and requires experience and time to mature. This implies a that it is desired for itself, b that it is not desired for the sake of anything else, c that it satisfies all desire and has no evil mixed in with it, and d that it is stable. Moral virtues are not in our nature, but nor are they contrary to our nature, which is adapted to receive them. Ethics deals with the vagaries of human life and must remain flexible enough to account for the great deal of variety and possibility. Virtue, by contrast, is a disposition, or hexis, meaning that it is a state of being and not an activity. Jul 20, 2015 the nicomachean ethics is a book written by aristotle named for nicomachus, which in keeping with the greek practice of boys being named after their grandfathers, was the name of both aristotles father and his son. Aristotle uses the language of distributive justice to explain this concept. Thomism and aristotelianism is an excellent dismantling of thomas aquinas understanding of aristotle, focusing mainly upon the commentary on the nicomachean ethics. Accordingly, we are unsure if the book was dedicated to or inspired by either aristotles father or son. The word activity translates from the greek energeia, which signifies not only physical activity but also mental activity as seemingly inactive as contemplation or daydreaming. Aristotle defined goaldirected teleological ethics in terms of purpose and achievement of those ends. The internet classics archive nicomachean ethics by. Quite a few comments have been posted about nicomachean ethics.
Thus a sword that has the purpose of killing is a good sword if it achieves this well. Formal definition of happiness or flourishing eudaimonia. The pages appear to be photocopies of another book and it really shows. Feb 26, 2014 an excellent new translation and commentary. Themes and colors key litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in nicomachean ethics, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Explain the relationship between virtue, pleasure, and pain. Another view is that the happy man leads a good life, and this is in accordance with our definition of happiness as a good life and state of wellbeing.
Aristotle outlines two sorts of virtue virtue of thought and virtue of character. In book iii of the nichomachean ethics, aristotle 384322 bce wrote that humans are responsible for the actions they freely choose to doi. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. To qualify as virtuous, one must not merely act virtuously, but also know he.
Aristotle begins his study on ethics by asserting that there is some ultimate good which is both complete and selfsufficient, and defines this good as happiness. Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. Find a summary of this and each chapter of nicomachean ethics. Chapter summary for aristotles nicomachean ethics, book 5 summary.
Explain aristotles function argument nicomachean ethics, book 1, chapter 7 and the role it plays in his ethical theory. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an indepth summary and analysis of book 1. The nicomachean ethics aristotle 384 bce 322 bce, translated by thomas taylor 1758 1835 the work consists of ten books, originally separate scrolls, and is understood to be based on notes said to be from his lectures at the lyceum which were either edited by or dedicated to aristotles son, nicomachus. As shown in the aristotles book nicomachean ethics describes, moral virtue is a mean of two vices, the one involving excess, and the other deficiency. Mar 31, 2011 aristotles nicomachean ethics, said to be dedicated to aristotles son nicomachus, is widely regarded as one of the most important works in the history of western philosophy. Aristotle, nicomachean ethics, book 2, chapter 6, section 15. Youre about to go for a severalthousandyearold rideand aristotle aint going to make it easy for you. Summary book ii so virtue is a purposive disposition, lying in a mean that is relative to us and determined by a rational principle, by that which a prudent man would use to determine it.
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