Philosophical Analysis of Aristotle

Philosophical analysis of Aristotle

Many theorists consider Aristotle to be the first person to use the term “ethics” in naming the field of study that had already been subject to develop by his predecessors Socrates and Plato. Philosophical ethics attempts in offering the rational response to the questions regarding how the human beings live. Aristotle used to be regarding politics and ethics as two related but very separate field of study because ethics examines the good concerning an individual, while politics is about examining the good of the city-state. Aristotle was very persuasive while providing his discussion on virtue and excellences. To his argument, he considers that virtue is, in the moral sense, the product of habit. The intellectual excellence is subject to derive mainly from the teaching. Virtue is thus the habit of choosing the mean that exists between the extremes with respect to some form of action or some emotions attached. In Aristotle’s conception, the all good are based on a median aim with the same passions and deliberations. The virtuous person must be continent person. Yet the virtuous person in Kantian ethics is defined as goodwill person who act from duty. Kantian ethics defines a universal standard of manner for all beings. Human has to follow the standard and complete duties to achieve the goodness following the standard. Unlike Kantian, Aristotle states that there are many ways for a man to utilize virtue within his life to achieve the highest good. There are various happiness but duty and standard are the same for all thing. Thus, Kant’s ethical theory is more compelling than Aristotle’s ethics.

Kant is implying that one has to treat someone different as a...

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...rtuously basing on the plethora ways. Kant was a believer that only through utilizing the good will has the capacity of completing the categorical duties that make man to be good. Although Kant’s conception of the good will fought well against that of Aristotle conception of the virtuous person, Aristotle was clearly victorious. Such thoughts in regards to the highest good had to exclude the need of attaching human emotions and revealing man's inherent duty. Although happiness varies, duty always remains constant.

Works Cited

Kant, Immanuel, and James W. Ellington. Grounding for the metaphysics of morals. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Pub. Co., 1981. Print.

Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Raleigh, N.C.: Alex Catalogue, 199. Print.

Thomson, J. A. K., and Hugh Tredennick. The ethics of Aristotle: the Nicomachean ethics. Rev. ed. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976. Print.