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A look at Aristotle's approach to ethics, focusing on the cultivation of character rather than following rules.
If you were caught in a house fire, would you run inside to save a pet because a rulebook told you to, or because you had trained yourself to be the kind of person who acts with courage?
Most people think ethics is about a list of 'thou shalt nots.' However, Aristotle argued that ethics is actually about Eudaimonia. Often translated as 'happiness,' a more accurate definition is human flourishing or living a life of excellence. Unlike temporary pleasure (), Eudaimonia is the result of a lifetime of active virtue. Aristotle believed every object has a telos (purpose). Just as a knife's purpose is to cut well, the human purpose is to reason well. To achieve Eudaimonia, we must develop a virtuous character so that doing the right thing becomes a second-nature habit rather than a chore.
Quick Check
How does Eudaimonia differ from the common modern definition of happiness?
Answer
Eudaimonia is a long-term state of flourishing through excellence and reason, whereas modern happiness is often viewed as a temporary emotional feeling or pleasure.
How do we know what a virtue is? Aristotle proposed the Golden Mean. He argued that every virtue is a balance point between two vices: a deficiency (too little) and an excess (too much). For example, if you face danger, having too little confidence is cowardice, while having too much is rashness. The virtue, Courage, sits in the middle. This isn't a mathematical average that is the same for everyone; rather, it is the 'mean relative to us.' A professional firefighter’s 'mean' for courage in a fire is different from a passerby's 'mean' because of their training and ability.
Consider the act of eating at a buffet: 1. Deficiency: You starve yourself despite being hungry (Insensibility). 2. Excess: You eat until you are sick (Self-indulgence). 3. The Golden Mean: You eat exactly what your body requires for health and energy (Temperance).
In this case, the 'virtue' is the balanced choice that promotes your long-term flourishing.
Quick Check
If 'Wit' is the virtue, what might be the 'excess' vice?
Answer
Buffoonery (being a clown or joking inappropriately).
Unlike rule-based systems (like Deontology) that give you a 'universal law,' Virtue Ethics relies on Phronesis, or practical wisdom. Phronesis is the ability to discern the Golden Mean in complex, real-world situations. You aren't born with it; you acquire it through habituation. By repeatedly choosing the virtuous path, your brain literally 'rewires' itself. Aristotle famously said, 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.' Virtue ethics focuses on the agent (the person) rather than the action (the rule).
Your friend asks if their terrible singing is good. 1. A rule-based person might say 'Never lie,' hurting the friend's feelings unnecessarily. 2. A virtue ethicist uses Phronesis to find the mean between Brutal Honesty (excess) and False Flattery (deficiency). 3. They might say, 'You have great energy, but this specific song is really hard for your range.' This maintains the virtue of Truthfulness while also exercising Kindness.
Imagine you are a captain of a sinking ship. You must balance Courage (staying to help), Justice (ensuring the most vulnerable get on lifeboats first), and Prudence (making the logical choice to save yourself eventually so you can testify about what happened). 1. There is no 'rule' that covers every variable. 2. You must weigh the 'Golden Mean' for each virtue simultaneously. 3. The 'right' action is what a Phronimos (a person of practical wisdom) would do in that exact moment.
According to Aristotle, what is the 'telos' (purpose) of a human being?
If 'Cowardice' is the deficiency and 'Rashness' is the excess, what is the Golden Mean?
Virtue Ethics provides a specific list of rules that must be followed in every situation.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three parts of the Golden Mean: Deficiency, Virtue, and Excess. Can you name the 'Mean' for the feeling of anger?
Practice Activity
Identify one 'vice' you have (like procrastination or being too blunt). Determine what the 'Golden Mean' would look like for that behavior and try to practice that balance three times today.