Analysis Of Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle

Aristotle tries to avoid giving us a strict definition of responsibility that may set a limit without any vagueness for what actions elicit responsibility. He does say that we are not responsible for involuntary acts, acts that we have no control over whatsoever. To quote Aristotle “But no one is encouraged to do the things that are neither in our power nor voluntary; it is assumed that there is no gain in being persuaded not to be hot or in pain or hungry or the like, since we shall experience these feelings none the less.”(Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics III Chapter 5).Aristotle through this lays out a basis on which we can judge the actions .Thus according to Aristotle Fred would be responsible for blowing up his rent money as he was not forced to do it. He made a conscious choice, he was not forced into spending it, it was a voluntary action on Fred’s behalf thus he is responsible.

“The end, then, being what we wish for, the means what we deliberate about and choose, actions concerning means must be according to choice and voluntary. Now the exercise of the virtues is concerned with means. Therefore virtue also is in our own power, and so too vice.”(Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics III Chapter 5)This is the very first line we come across. Aristotle applies logic here to make it crystal clear that it is entirely in our control how we develop our character that is how we go about day in and day out making choices, taking actions learning and moulding our character .The argument Fred makes that he is not responsible, because there’s nothing he could have done about how he has turned out would be considered a very weak argument, because according to Aristotle no matter what our education or experiences are while growing up we a...

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...unctions and for it to function well .He suggests that there is a proper hierarchy to a proper soul. Desires are there to take care of our bodily desires or wants and reason part rules over entire soul while making decisions which are of the utmost importance and the emotions enforce what reason wants to maintain a harmonious soul.

To conclude Plato employs very early classical logic to disapprove that soul is a single thing he then goes on to explain his tripartite theory of soul by using various examples in the end all it boils down to is that we have reason, emotion and desire. First of all Emotion must bow down to Reason then Emotions has to control Desire in order to reach an ideal sate of our soul according to Plato. That is Plato’s general understanding of a man’s soul.

Ashveer

Resources used Voices of Ancient Philosophy, Wikipedia, http://plato.stanford.edu/