Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle (384-322 BCE ) treated ethics as an independent branch of social science , though he incorporated many points from philosophy into the doctrine . In the Nicomachean Ethics (EN ) the philosopher presented the concepts of happiness as the ultimate human good , virtues of character and of thought , preconditions of virtue (voluntary action and responsibility , friendship and pleasure . Aristotle 's ethical theory was tensely linked to political science and tackled upon both individual and community ethical natures , since in the philosopher 's conceptualization a human being is a naturally political [animal]

(EN I .7 6 .1097b11-2 : 8

The goal of the present is to discuss Aristotle 's views of the parts of the human soul which manifest themselves in human action on the pursuit of happiness as the ultimate good . The soul according to Aristotle is the subject of development and change . Either intentionally or unintentionally an individuals may mould his soul to live either the life of gratification , or of political activity , or , the most advisedly of study

In discussing the specific ways that individuals can follow in shaping their souls so as to live the best life , Aristotle emphasized that each human being was responsible for developing virtues and vices . He remarked that , It is not only vices of the soul that are voluntary vices of the body are also voluntary for some people , and we actually censure them (EN III .5 . 15 .1114a23-1114a24 : 38-9 . This saying speaks on behalf of the individual playing an important role in structuring his own life and the life of other people within a political system

Though the philosopher named a human being an animal ' he showed the key distinctions between the two creatures in regard to the capacities and states of the soul . Aristotle seemed to create a two-fold system in relating to the human soul against the counterpoint of rationality or reason . In his opinion , there were the nonrational and the rational (the part which had reason ) parts of the human soul (EN I .13 . 9 .1102a29-30 17

It seems clear why the philosopher dismissed the purely nonrational part from his classification . The so-called cause of nutrition and growth (EN I .13 . 11 .1102b1 : 17 ) was hardly to participate in ethical firmament of an individual because it was believed to be shared by both humans and nonhumans alike (EN I .13 . 12 .1102b5 : 17 . Specifically human parts of the soul were , thus , the nonrational sub-part nursing appetites or nonrational desires , and the rational part in its two variants : the one which will have reason fully , by having it within itself ' and the one which will have reason by listening to reason as to a father (EN I .13 . 18 .1103a3-4 : 18 . Therefore , reason seems to be the guiding principle of the human soul

To reach the ultimate good or happiness (eudaimonia , a rationally functioning individual should seek to balance the nonrational and rational parts of his soul against each other . At the same time , one should not suppress completely...