Aristotle, one of the first known philosophers, proposed the first ethical theory thousands of years ago. He stated that an ethical person chooses the course of action that leads to the greatest sense of personal well-being and living well. This is the theory of virtue which is known as eudemonia. The theory of eudemonia is complemented by the doctrine of the mean, which posits that virtuosity rests between the two extremes of action. This position advocates moderation in thought and action, for according to Aristotle, “in everything continuous and divisible, then, it is possible to take more, less, and equal, and these either in relation to the thing itself or in relation to us – where equal is some sort of mean between excess and deficiency” (Reeve, 2014, p. 27).
For example, courage is commonly thought to be a virtuous quality. However, to have too much courage is to be thought to be brazen and foolish. Conversely, having too little courage is to be impotent and cowardly. Thus, the virtue of courage is the mean of the two extremes of cowardliness and brazenness. It is “medial,” as Aristotle would say. As another example, it may be considered virtuous to be helpful to others, including strangers, superiors, friends, and family. The quality of helpfulness is in the middle of two extremes, on the one end of which is obsequiousness, and on the other end of which are apathy and defiance. Yet another virtue, generosity, is the mean of frugality and wastefulness. According to Aristotle’s virtue of the mean, we should try to moderate our thoughts, emotions, and actions, because moderation is a quality that engenders self-control. The possession of self-control is essential to our wellbeing, because to be in control of one’s own thoughts and behaviors is to have maximum control over the outcomes of one’s life. Although no one can control everything that happens to them, people who have self-control are able to choose how events, both positive and negative, will affect them.
Aristotle believes that virtue is not only a matter of action; it is a state of character. According to Aristotle, “virtue of character is concerned with pleasures and pains” (Reeves, 2014, p. 24). Since virtue is concerned with feeling in addition to behavior, it must therefore be concerned with pleasure and pain, since feelings entail pleasure and pain. Every action has the potential to confer feelings of pleasure, pain, or something in between pleasure and pain. Feelings of hunger, sadness, fear, anger, envy, and joy, all imply a certain degree of pleasure and pain. Thus, we are disposed to act in certain ways, because we are disposed to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. Virtuous actions are neither naturally pleasurable nor painful, so the agent of virtuous action has to decide on the way that the actions make him or her feel. The agent must be in a “firm and unchanging” state that of taking pleasure from virtuous actions (“Nichomachean Ethics”).
Finally, Aristotle believes that ethical virtues are the result of regular practice, or habit. When we train ourselves to act ethically, ethical actions become a routine part of our daily lives. Therefore, good conduct arises naturally from habits that we acquire by routinely acting in specific ways. We become ethical people by practicing ethical habits routinely.
Works Cited
“Nichomachean Ethics.” Web. 3 June 2016. <http://home.wlu.edu/~mahonj/Ancient_Philosophers/Aristotle2.htm>
Reeve, C.D.C. Nicomachean Ethics. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2014.
