Introduction
This is a layman’s effort to hit the importance of Aristotle’s explanation of the human nature. In his work of sociology and ethics; the Nicomachean Ethics Book 1, he emerge as a good natured and cheerful philosopher. He is an icon in his writing and shows his skilled and a vast experience in writing since he entices many people to look into ethics. From my point of view Nicomachean Ethics is a philosophical that reviews the nature of the good life for a human being. He begins the work by suggesting that there is often an ultimate goodness in every last analysis that all human actions ultimately aim. Happiness is the principle of actions and the cause of all good things. It is thus worthy of honor (Aristotle and Nadia, p34, 2007). The most important characteristics of the ultimate good are final, self-sufficient, complete and continuous.
In Book VIII Aristotle argues that for a friendship to be firm and constructive it must be based upon goodness. In this book he argues about two controversial premises that is; long term and short term relationship. According to Aristotle justice and friendship are two things that are closely related because for justice to rule citizens must be connected by friendship. In conclusion Aristotle advocates a life with as much contemplation as possible. Since by doing good things make people happy and normal thoughts remain to be highest good. This essay will study the strength of these objections in order and then show them to be mistaken, thus supporting Aristotle's general conclusion (Aristotle and Taylor, p67, 2006).
Objectors to Key Premises
Aristotle’s critics can oppose to the good toward of all human actions indirectly or directly aim is happiness or flourishing that Aristotle refers as eudaimonia in Greek language. The objectors think that Aristotle’s theory of the good life doesn’t hold universally. However the essay will proves that Aristotle work was good natured and it is based on real facts. According to Nicomachean Ethics happiness can implies three situations (a) it implies that it is desired for the sake of anything else, (b) that it is desired for itself, and (c) that it is stable and satisfies all desire. The above is Critical reading of premise so that we have an idea of what are the right virtues in Book II Aristotle suggests that there are two kinds of virtue that is moral and intellectual. He says that we learn moral virtues by continuous practice and habit while intellectual virtues are by instructions.
According to Aristotle happiness consists of several things. He approaches such a question with several answers, first he said happiness in animals and plants lies upon their natures. He said difference between animals and plants is that animals consists in reasoning as well as acting accordance with their reason in their function, while animal cant. The following is a short list of surface objections, Complainers might oppose idea that human soul is alienated into different parts, governing (reasoning) part, part that is governed by reasons and lastly unresponsive part to reason and say that is flawed (Aristotle and Nadia, p67, 2007). But the virtues are habit of the soul by which a person works well.
How the surface objections really expose deep problems.
The objectors get into deep problems as they try to oppose about virtues because one becomes vicious by permitting certain defective ways of acting to be habitual. According Aristotle virtue is hard to achieve since if people simply follow our feelings it is easier to become vicious. Even though people have a natural desire for happiness, our inherited feelings regularly lead us away from our true happiness. Therefore the virtues make human life valuable hence we should value virtues because they show us a preferable path to happiness (Aristotle and Taylor, p137, 2006).
Replies to the Objections
Virtue is not simply an isolated action but a habit of acting well; therefore having virtue is dissimilar from having a skill since what counts is not just the product. In most cases, a virtue can be categorized into two vices, one which represents an excess of a certain passion or feelings. While the other represents a defect. Aristotle gives a rough general classification of moral virtues categorizing them into those concerning feelings or passions, those concerning with external goods such as magnanimity and magnificence and last category are those concerning with social life and justice such as truthfulness and wittiness. He later deals with moral virtues specifically in Books three and five (Aristotle and Nadia, p98, 2007). There it is hard for objectors to live without virtues. They should join their hands and support Aristotle work.
In the first instance, if there are virtues and values that people worth living for are those concerning feelings and passions these are the key issues that objectors should consider. Most people recognize virtues that concerns social life and justice this is because it enhances friendship and good relationship. People’s main action and most wide-ranging happiness is a life of observation of the highest goods. Where natural justice is always just in all times and places. By doing this will enhance friendship and forever be sharing goodness. Hence friendship improves experience of realizing each other toward their final goals and human excellence that discusses deep happiness (Aristotle and Taylor, p78, 2006). Therefore if this is not considered there would be massive deep problems in socializing hence living with others.
Theoretical Observations
Globalization has changed the world we are living to a small village therefore unity and communalism should be our strength and shield. In current society frenetic change is common and frequency applied. Everything is changing as time counts therefore people should be at situation of adapting the frequency change so that they have effectively live. But Aristotle suggests the way of living based on friendship upon making each other happy. To this end he creates an argument with the key premises that is the moral virtues. According to Aristotle without virtue, people cannot be happy (Aristotle and Taylor, p107, 2006).
Aristotle points out that the champions holder in Olympic Games are not the strongest but rather the strongest people who compete. Likewise a person might have a virtuous character but will not lead a happy life unless they follow their character. There is essential for justification within the contemporary world, wherever our views on virtue and vice might not entirely believe Aristotle’s. Aristotle intends to persuade individuals what's virtuous, this differs from most recent ethical thinker in introduction very little stress on traditional argument in ethical development.
As Aristotle argues at Book II learning virtue is just a matter of proper training and habit. His theories are applicable in our day to day function and one can learn virtue by practice since according to him idea of virtue is learned by habit rather reasoning. According to his view a virtuous person is naturally motivated to choose the right behavior in any situation without appealing to rules (Aristotle and Nadia, p104, 2007). Aristotle seems to avoid accuracy but he says precision is difficult because there are no rules that are fixed that can be followed with assurance.
Significance of the Argument
We are living in a free world where everyone makes his or her decision however we must consider our relation to other. According to Aristotle, he suggested the best way of living in friendship. As he says friendship and justice relate and depend on each other. Cultivation of friendship leads to friendships built upon the good which possibly last a lifetime. We can generally trace unpleasantness to the circumstances in which a person grew up, and it is hard to make an unfriendly person pleasant simply by providing reasons for behaving more pleasantly (Aristotle and Taylor, p173, 2006).
One of the foremost celebrated and mentioned aspects of Aristotle’s Ethics is his philosophy of the Mean, that holds that each virtue could be a mean between the vicious extremes of excess and deficiency. this can be not a strict rule, as philosopher himself points out: there's no precise formula by that we will verify specifically wherever this mean lies, for the most part as a result of the mean can vary for various individuals.
The virtues Aristotle lists, then, replicate the normally control values of a properly raised, patrician Athenian. If we have a tendency to ail Aristotle’s decisions of virtues, we have a tendency to be unlikely to search out a compelling argument in his work to vary our mind: by Aristotle’s own admission, reasoning is unlikely to show US to understand virtue if we have got not been raised with the proper habits (Aristotle and Nadia, p134, 2007).
Works Cited
Aristotle and Nadia May. Nicomachean Ethics. Ashland, Or. Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007. Print.
Aristotle and C. W. Taylor Nicomachean Ethics: Books Ii-Iv. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2006. Print.
