Aristotle on intellectual virtues and vices list

The good for a human being is, therefore, acting in accordance with reason.The telos of a human being is to reason.At this point, AristotleВ directs his thinking towards human beings specifically. Given the above, hopefully these steps of the argument are clear so far.

An object is good when it properly secures its telos.Aristotle identifies what the good for a human being is in virtue of working out what the function of a human being is, as per his Function Argument. For, just as a chair has a true function or end, so Aristotle believes human beings have a telos. This teleological (function and purpose) based worldview is the necessary backdrop to understanding AristotleвЂ™s ethical reasoning. Equally, says Aristotle, what makes good sculptors, artists and flautists is the successful and appropriate performance of their functions as sculptors, artists and flautists. The telos of a chair, for example, may be to provide a seat and a chair is a good chair when it supports the curvature of the human bottom without collapsing under the strain. Every object has this type of a true function and so every object has a way of achieving goodness. AristotleвЂ™s claim is essentially that in achieving its function, goal or end, an object achieves its own good. Indeed, those of you studying Aristotle in units related to the Philosophy of Religion may recognize the link between AristotleвЂ™s general teleological worldview and his study of ethics.ДЄristotleВ claims that вЂњвЂ¦for all things that have a function or activity, the good and the вЂwellвЂ™ is thought to reside in the functionвЂќ. The Greek term telos refers to what we might call a purpose, goal, end or true final function of an object. Aristotle was a teleologist because he believed that every object has what he referred to as a final cause. The Function ArgumentДЄristotleВ was a teleologist, a term related to, but not to be confused with, the label вЂњteleologicalвЂќ as applied to normative ethical theories such as Utilitarianism. Indeed, this is what separates Aristotelian Virtue Ethics from both Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics. It is fitting, therefore, that his moral philosophy is based around assessing the broad characters of human beings rather than assessing singular acts in isolation. вЂ“ Ivan Panin AristotelianВ VirtueВ EthicsВ IntroductionДЄristotle (384вЂ“322 BC) was a scholar in disciplines such as ethics, metaphysics, biology and botany, among others. To seek virtue for the sake of reward is to dig for iron with a spade of gold.

Aristotle on intellectual virtues and vices list