Aristotle’s Concept of Virtue and the Comic Strip of Calvin and Hobbes
One of the many questions with which Aristotle is concerned in the Nicomachean Ethics is: What is virtue and who is the virtuous man? However, this question of virtue is not considered in a vacuum. Aristotle’s discussion, far from amounting to mere ethereal musings, is firmly grounded in the everyday of life and consideration. So, in discussing the ideas of Aristotle, it is appropriate, and even necessary, that we ground our discussion in a like manner. That is, we should turn to a concrete example in order to help clarify Aristotle’s discussion of virtue in the Ethics.
Thus we are presented with our first dilemma: who to choose as this "concrete example" of which we have spoken. In order to determine this, we should first determine to whom it is that Aristotle addresses himself and his discussion, as it will obviously do us no good to attempt to apply the ideas which Aristotle sets forth to a personage whom he discounts or, at least, to whom he merely does not address himself. In general, it is fair to say that Aristotle attempts to address the bulk of mankind. In doing so, Aristotle assumes some very basic morality as a grounds for the proceeding discussion, and those who expect the discussion to be applicable to their own lives must have done the same. That is, "to be a competent student of what is right and just, and of politics generally, one must first have received a proper upbringing in moral conduct" (Arist. 1.4.5).1 In addition, integral to the discussion is the geography of the soul which Aristotle provides, and thus it would be helpful in our concrete example if it were also to provide a somewhat tangible expression of this juxtaposi...
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...ng good when one has an innate inclination towards evil.
Closeup on Calvin as he packs snow in his hands, forming a snowball.
Calvin: I think one good act by me, even if it’s just to get presents, should count as five good acts by some sweet tempered kid motivated by the pureness of his heart. Don’t you?
Susie Durkins (Calvin’s archenemy) enters the frame. Calvin’s arm is cocked with the snowball in hand. Hobbes is barely visible in the frame, but it is important to note he has reverted to his stuffed-animal state.
Calvin: Hey Susie!
The snowball hits Susie in the back of the head with a "POW!" knocking her to the ground.
Calvin and Hobbes (now in his live-animal state) sprint across the snow in flight.
Hobbes: Of course, in your case the question is academic.
Calvin: I wanted to put a rock in the snowball, but I didn’t! That should be worth a lot!
Prior to the careers of Popes Celestine V and Boniface XII in the 13th century, the long and, sometimes tumultuous, history of the church can be helpful in setting the stage for these two church official’s very famous, and very different tenures as pope. In different forms and methods, the medieval Catholic Church has always had a strong hold on society in addition to politics. The church has also had a troubling past when it comes to corruption, usually manifesting itself through the pursuit of this dominance over political and outside figures on all aspects of everyday life. Coupling these two themes together, the past actions and power exerted
In February of 1942 a San Francisco columnist, Henry McLemore wrote, “I am for immediate removal of every Japanese on the West coast …Herd ‘em up, pack ‘em off. Let ‘em be pinched, hurt and hungry! I hate the Japanese. And that goes for all of them!” (Stanley 16-17). This feeling of hate was common in America at this time, reflecting a tendency to confuse the enemy nation of Japan with American citizens of Japanese ancestry. A poll conducted in March 1942 found that 93 percent of Americans supported the evacuation of alien Japanese, and 59 percent supported the removal of Japanese- Americans who were citizens (23-24). Americans acc...
22. Muller, Eric,Free to Die for Their Country: The Story of the Japanese American Draft Resisters in World War II . 2001, University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition
Kraut, R 2014, ‘Aristotle's Ethics’, The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (Summer Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), .
told the animals that Snowball was with Mr. Jones from the starting. (Ch 6. P.
The lyrical content of modern music has had a noticeable affect on the actions of all society. Few limitations have been applied to the availability of these horrid songs, so the ears of young children are still exposed to them. These children do not realize the affect it has upon them. ''People perceive media content to have a greater impact on others than on themselves (McLeod 1).'' Because the nation's youth is being subjected to these types of songs, children and teenagers are committing crimes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and forming racist or sexist opinions. These actions are learned actions, and are based upon the words written for obscene music. Our country needs to evaluate this music carefully, which can protect our youth from further harm. ''Understanding the nature and extent of the influence of music violence may well be the first step for ensuring a more civil society (Crowley 2).''
Aristotle, W. D. Ross, and Lesley Brown. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.
R. H. C. Davis, A History of Medieval Europe from Constantine to Saint Louis. London and New York: Longmans, Green, 1957.
17, No. 3, p. 252-259. Urmson, J.O., (1988). Aristotle’s Ethics (Blackwell), ch.1. Wilkes, K.V., (1978). The Good Man and the Good for Man in Aristotle’s Ethics. Mind 87; repr.
Aristotle’s thoughts on ethics conclude that all humans must have a purpose in life in order to be happy. I believe that some of the basics of his ideas still hold true today. This essay points out some of those ideas.
Strahan, Thomas W., J.D. “Therapeutic Influence in Abortion Counseling and Procedures: Creating the Illusion of Well-Being.” Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change. March / April 2002. 1 March 2004. <http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/Vol%2017%20No%201%20Mar%202002.pdf>
...esult, the more directly one sees their personal efforts impact someone else, the more happiness one can gain from the experience of giving. Sometimes generosity requires pushing past a feeling of reluctance because people all instinctively want to keep good things for themselves, but once one is over this feeling, they will feel satisfaction in knowing that they have made a difference in someone else’s life. However, if one lives without generosity but is not selfish, they can still have pleasure from other virtues.
To understand the rise of the papacy in Rome, it is imperative to recall that the center of Christianity had been destroyed in 70 AD when the army of Titus destroyed Jerusalem. Looking for leadership, Christians immediately sought out those in Rome as it was the center of power and the capital of the Empire. In the first and second centuries, all roads did indeed lead to Rome. Another reason that Christians looked to Rome for leadership is because they believed that the church would come from Peter. Many understood Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:18, “You are Peter” to literally mean that the church would form from Peter and he was associated with Rome. Therefore, church leadership would evolve in Rome and its leader would bear the title pope. In the following six centuries a sequence of events would eventually lead the bishop of Rome and the papacy to great spiritual and political power in Western Europe. The emergence of papal power and its impact on the Western Empire was more likely due to a confluence of divinely inspired historical events, than to the apostolic succession of Peter. The growth of the papacy is revealed through an assessment of how the popes rose to power, an analysis of the contributing factors, and their impacts on society.
Aristotle believed that to be a good person you had to have intellectual and moral virtues and that good people learned goodness from the people they interacted with. Also Aristotle believed that all beings has an inherent goal that they try to reach; for humans it is complete development of talents and morals. One problem with virtue ethics is that there is no way to morally make decisions in complex situation; the best way to handle a difficult decision is to ask one’s self what one’s idol would
Virtue ethics, which was systematized by Aristotle, helps define what it means to have a good life and what kind of person you should be in your life. Virtue ethics says that although you can work to develop traits, you must achieve your full potential in order to lead a virtuous life. While virtues have applications throughout your daily life and in many different professions, they are particularly relevant in engineering. Successful engineers need to reflect many different virtues in their actions, including being intelligent and hardworking. This paper defines Aristotle’s virtue ethics and how it is specifically applicable to engineers.