Aristotle’s nature of law appealed to me the most because he defines the cultivation of virtues that achieve full potential in life. Aristotle’s theory of happiness had a process of exercising a moral life in order to reach genuine eudaemonia, which means, “actively exercising the soul’s powers”. The fulfillment of the self, allowed a person to strengthen their system of morals and values to practice a “good” life. Your whole persona should life a live with integrity, never conflicting your happiness with false satisfaction. As one develop a solid set of morals and beliefs, and then one can create a path of righteousness that will benefit the value of character. As one lives life, one is able to adjust their view of happiness due to the experience …show more content…
Aristotle believes that humans are essentially good; therefore, they are more likely to achieve their full potential as good people, whereas Hobbes believe in fighting against original sin. The social contract is the opposite of Aristotle’s philosophy of humans being born essentially good. Hobbes’ state of nature considers humans as selfish and destructive beings that need must be tamed in order to survive; otherwise, chaos is bound to strike. Hence why I agree with Aristotle’s philosophy of exercising and cultivating the values that we originally possess. As one matures, one is capable of reasoning the quality we need in order to become incorporated into society. Humans are flawed, but the building of good character can lead to natural companionship instead of obeying man made laws in order to improve the quality of life. I too believe that man can form an organized society for their mutual benefit. Relationships enhance our virtues as one forms self-identity based on …show more content…
Confucius has influenced my social justice point of view because I believe that if people practiced their own virtues, then the world will coexist in harmony. Humanity will considerate of other’s well-being, uniting countries, disposing of evil. Society must recognize people’s virtues instead of penalizing humanity for their flaws. Confucius highlights the virtues of humanity, believing that they possess the characteristics to live in a society free of harm or judgement. Human nature consists in instinct virtues of survival, but Confucius also believes that they are not all bad, just poorly dominated by political authority figures. The Chinese philosopher aspired that his teachings liberated his country, whereas society restraints natural state. Individual’s rebel against laws that interfere with happiness, therefore humans are less likely to experience happiness, and if dared to challenge policy makers then one are punished. Confucius focuses on the qualities of a human being naturally virtuous, whereas society sees it as chaotic herd waiting to
To highlight such differences between Aristotle and Hobbes we must first discuss the definition of virtue laid out by each. According to Aristotle virtue is a “mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency”. From what we already know about Aristotle’s ...
In order to fully grasp Hobbes' theory of Social Contract, one must first become familiar with his basic premises of "The State of Nature." In this state each individual is inherently in a perpetual state of war, due to several given reasons. Hobbes assumes that "Nature hath made men…equall." (Hobbes 183) Also, that in this state of war all men exemplify purely egoistic behavior, striving to do whatever possible to maximize their own utility, even if it requires murdering another. In addition to these conditions, in the state of nature, there exists a state of natural scarcity, in which, a finite amount of goods, possessions, property, "cattell," "wives," whatever, exist to satisfy man's infinite wants. "And therefore if any two men desire the same thing…they become enemies and…endeavour to destroy or subdue one an other." (Hobbes 184) Hence, creating a constant state of war.
Hobbes views human nature as the war of each man against each man. For Hobbes, the essence of human nature can be found when we consider how man acts apart from any government or order. Hobbes describes the world as “a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man.” (Hobbes mp. 186) In such a world, there are “no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” (Hobbes mp. 186) Hobbes believes that laws are what regulate us from acting in the same way now. He evidences that our nature is this way by citing that we continue to lock our doors for fear of theft or harm. Hobbes gives a good argument which is in line with what we know of survivalism, and evidences his claim well. Hobbes claims that man is never happy in having company, unless that company is utterly dominated. He says, “men have no pleasure, (but on the contrary a great dea...
In conclusion, Aristotle’s elucidation of happiness is based on a ground of ethics because happiness to him is coveted for happiness alone. The life of fame and fortune is not the life for Aristotle. Happiness is synonymous for living well. To live well is to live with virtue. Virtue presents humans with identification for morals, and for Aristotle, we choose to have “right” morals. Aristotle defines humans by nature to be dishonored when making a wrong decision. Thus, if one choses to act upon pleasure, like John Stuart Mill states, for happiness, one may choose the wrong means of doing so. Happiness is a choice made rationally among many pickings to reach this state of mind. Happiness should not be a way to “win” in the end but a way to develop a well-behaved, principled reputation.
...ut more importantly Mencius' core conception that human nature is also aware of its actions, and considers the well-being of others and that people are morally obligated to do so is also key to attaining our full potential. This conception of human nature and proper order together is what has shaped East Asian political and social thought for centuries. It is credited with creating an East Asia that is economically robust, and socially coherent and once again will be the center of human society in the decades to come. And contrary to popular Western belief, East Asian political thought does appreciate the necessity of the individual in defining society. In fact the only way to attain our human nature is to healthily self-cultivate ourselves morally and materially so we can reach our highest potential and in that way be a valued and contributing member to society.
Aristotle and Hobbes have different views on what is good, which results in contrasting moral theories. These philosophers both have different views on what is good, how to act, and how to be. The way in which Aristotle defines happiness, is opposed to the views and beliefs of Hobbes. Aristotle believed that there was a final good, and opposing him was the belief that Hobbes had, which was that there was no final good. They both believed that being moral wasn’t only good for you, but also good for others.
Fundamentally, Aristotle’s and Hobbes’s principles represent two contradictory interpretations of the philosophy of human nature and why men gather and constitute government. For Aristotle, man is naturally a social and political animal, structured toward living in a community; whereas for Hobbes, it is natural for man to live for himself, and the state is an artificially created concept to prevent war. In the following essay, I will argue that Hobbes’s claim that the state of nature is a state
On the similarities and dissimilarities of the theories of human nature by Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Hobbes, there is a single common denominator that resonates throughout all of their works: in some way, shape, or form, they all attempt to outline and convey to the reader a sense of political understanding derived via a methodical approach to the interpretation of human society. Thomas Hobbes, author of The Leviathan, argues that mankind cannot be readily trusted to uphold the terms of certain covenants, and from this one can derive that Hobbes believes men to be fickle and capricious in their decisions, and that they should generally not be trusted. Hobbes also asserts that there exists a natural law that dictates that man will adhere to the policy of self-preservation above all else. These two arguments form the basis for what Hobbes refers to as the state of nature, in which the “will to contend by battle is sufficiently known” (Hobbes Ch. 13). The renowned Greek philosopher and author of Politics, Aristotle, contradicts Hobbes’s theory of human nature with his assumptions of man and the the polis. Aristotle’s belief that “man is a political animal”
Shows how Confucius teaches individuals of both high and low birth to strive for success in their lifetime.
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
Appropriate application of this information leads human beings to treat others as they would like themselves to be treated (Nivison and David 41). Confucius said a human being takes as much trouble to find out what is correct as a lesser human being takes to find out what will pay. A man pursues knowledge as an end and a means, while the common person sees knowledge simply as a means towards security and wealth (Nivison and David 77). The above illustration would be meaningless and pointless if human nature was not correct and if these illustrations were not leaning toward goodness. For Confucius, the uppermost political supreme was the customary theocracy which requisite that the most righteous be the leader because good features were understood to be similar to human nature.
Thomas Hobbes? idea of a perfect government was one of small proportions. All of the citizens of a country had a ?covenant?, or promise with the ruler. This covenant with the ruler stated that the citizen would give up the right to govern his or herself, and give that right to the ruler. Hobbes? idea of society arises from an innate competition between every man. Everyone seeks their advantage, and is always at war with everyone else for that advantage. These factions negotiate, according to Hobbes, complying with whatever principles will ensure survival for its members. So according to Hobbes, war is the natural state of man. Peace is only had by our natural tendencies to compromise, and survive.
Confucius’ social philosophy is greatly directed towards the concept of ren. Ren symbolizes the characteristics of goodness and altruism, and is defined as being “compassionate”. However, displaying concern for others involves disparaging onself. Confucius declared that ‘a clever tongue and fine appearance are rarely signs of Goodness” (1.3) and believed one should avoid clever speech and a flattering manner, characteristics which would ultimately produce a false impression and lead to self-praising. On the contrary, those who have practiced ren are “slow to speak, but quick to act” (4.24) which differentiates ones who acquire genuine virtue from ones who acquire misleading virtue. To Confucius, such virtue is practiced through the Golden Rule: “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.” Confucius believed that human nature is essentially good, and that negative experiences may suppress the good nature of people, but goodwill will ultimately bring about its attainment. Ren initiates from the family through filial piety. Confucius considers loyalty to parents and older siblings as a form of promoting the interests of others before one’s own and stresses that only those who have learned self-discipline can achieve such selflessness. If we can be compassionate to our family, we can do the same to the people around us in our society. We can depict the meaning of ren to portray the importance of the principle in the ‘...
Why is the concept of the rule of law an important aspect within society to have an integral understanding of? The rule of law is a facet of our society that affects and serves our lives on a daily basis because rules and laws dictate the underlying basis of our social interactions. One basic understanding of the idea of the rule of law is that society should be ruled by law, and not by men. At perhaps the most rudimentary level, the rule of law has been used to explain a type of governance that is founded upon universal and neutral rules. Endicott argues that communities can never adequately achieve the rule of law because “it requires, among other things, that government officials conform to the law. But they may not do so, and presumably there is no large community in which they always do so” (Endicott, 1999, p.1). Consequently, an area of rule of law is explored by Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s philosopher-rulers theory and his defence and understanding of the rule of law.
For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should “give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men … (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)” (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He believed in the importance of individuals who knew their roles in an well-structured society, that was a feudal system. In his opinion, the ideal gentleman should be obedient to his elders, have humanness and be morally righteous. Through his teachings, he was able to reform an entire country; the Chinese found Confucianism to embody practices of humaneness that they could apply in their daily lives through his religion.