Aristotle on Ethics and Virtues

For Aristotle understanding ethics helps each one pursue a good life. What we need in order to understand ethics and live well is to appreciate the goods in life. Aristotle then explains why these qualities are essential in any fully well-live life. Virtues, the excellence of fulfillment, are the train to true happiness. One will become virtuous in character in time by acting virtuously. Virtues are not inborn, humans are only born with the capacity to become wise and ethically virtuous, and therefore, practice is required. In order to develop virtue in character and understand the mean of it, reason is the main key since reason is connected to virtue. To achieve ethical virtues one must develop proper habitats during childhood, and then wisdom must be acquired when reason is finally developed. This does not mean that one can do whatever it was told to be ethically virtuous; it still needs to be connected to personal practical wisdom. Besides habitats that lead to virtues, there are also habitats against the virtues. For example, if we don’t develop the habitat of paying attention to other people's needs, we are more likely to not become generous; if we develop the habitat of never trying something new, we will not be able to attain courage.

Aristotle’s theory of the mean argues that there is either an excess or deficiency of feelings. The mean does not fall between zero and the highest level but it is what we call moderation to be a virtue, self-control. Depending on the circumstances; it could require strong or not as strong feelings. For example, to be a virtue is what we call courage. In other words, one is thought that a person is considered to be a coward if they show a lot of fear when the situations are not very dangero...

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... do the virtuous act since the kid does not even know that it is virtuous. Third, most of the good things a kid does are taught from their parents, the kid does not decide for themselves. Finally, most of the times the kid is not consistent on the acts, even if they're told it's the right thing to do unless it's constantly repeated, the kid is most likely not to do it out of their own will. Now how can a person become virtuous in character by doing virtuous acts? We can teach a kid how to do the acts, the kinds of things that a person virtuous in character would do, but he/she would just be mimicking the acts. When Aristotle says that a kid has no virtue in character is because the kid is not really there. Virtue in character will develop in time after practice and understanding of what virtue means. Reason is essential in order to connect between reason and virtue.