The Ultimate Aim of Life Essay

Introduction

Every action, every science and every practical undertaking looks to aim for something good. The good is described as something that other things strive. Aristotle conceives of moral theory as an area distinct from the theoretical sciences. According to him, ethics is a methodology which must match its subject matter, which is a good action for this case and must respect the fact that many assumptions hold for the most of this field,(SparkNotes Editors, 2003). The main point of studying ethics is to improve human, and therefore its principal concern is the nature of humans. According to Aristotle, there are five chief virtues which the soul arrives at truth.

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Five of Principal Values by Aristotle

The first virtue is prudence. Prudence is defined as an intellectual virtue that enables an individual to deliberate well to choose the right ethical course. It merely means the right actions to be done in every situation. This is the essential virtue among the five. The second Aristotle principal of value is justice,(SparkNotes Editors, 2003). Justice is a typical value for many of us. It is described as the act of rendering others their rights. Temperance is the third value. This is the habit of moderating the use and acquisition of pleasurable and luxurious stuff. The other Aristotle principal value is fortitude. Fortitude enables a person to stand firm against the hard conditions of life. Besides, it helps one to restrain fear and be prepared to face danger. All this is happening with reason.

The role of habit in ethical development

From the Aristotle point of view, practice is a learned disposition to perform specific types of actions. When this character goes on to involve an enhanced cognitive control of activities, it comes to be known as a habit as learning. The connection between virtue and good habit comes in two distinct ways. First, ethics are states of good characters rather than passions. This state of nature is created through a repeated process of habituation. The second relation is that virtues need consistently good choices and decisions since you need to choose decisions that don't hurt other people. It is, therefore, the good habits that give rise to consistent models of actions and guide the passions to experience pain and pleasure correctly. These habits are crucial to meeting the conditions of ethics. Thus the creation of patterns, specifically good habits is essential in the Aristotle way of useful life, at which virtue aims.

Describe and discuss the doctrine of the mean in Aristotle's Ethics

The Doctrine of the Mean is crucial to Aristotle's view of the virtues. This is not only a tool for defining, evaluating and codifying the attributes but it is also intrinsic to a correct understanding of the nature of these virtues. The distinction that Aristotle gave concerning whether a particular morality is a perfection of character or intellectual ability simply less on a mean. Aristotle introduces the doctrine of the way as part of the very description of the achievement of humor, (Bartlett, & Collins, S.D, 2012). He first identifies the class of particular excellence as a condition and then within that same class; he looks for what differentiates perfection of character from other diseases. The doctrine of the mean is based on excellence. In Book I, Aristotle argued that the function of human beings is a way of living.....involving in the exercise of the will's capacities in relation with reason, or at any rate that is not in a position to reason. Excellence is, therefore, the situation which perfectly suits human to perform these actions well.

The role of friendship in ethical development?

According to Aristotle, friendship is a virtue and is besides most important intending to living. No one can choose to live without friend even if he has every other thing. Friendship is the highest point of moral life, where happiness and virtue are united. Friendship is vital because of it a valuable outlet for internal energies and talents of great-souled individuals. The greatness that comes in great friendships is higher than justice because it entirely depends on one's character and choice and law does not dictate it. Associations are honestly generous and more suitable to a person's happiness than actions that are done strictly because they are moral. In that regard, random acts of friendships are more pleasant than activities of ethics for the doer and the recipient as well.

The importance of deliberation (and decision) in Aristotle's Ethics

Consideration is an essential way of reasoning that starts from the setting a goal for which one wishes to achieve, involves in thinking the perfect way of making this goal, and the results in the forming of such a decision to perform such an action, (Bartlett, & Collins, S.D, 2012). The deliberation has to consider which choice will bring specific a type of activity. The proceeding has a particular ethical relevance. If we don't go through b this deliberation stage and instead act on passions alone, our behavior doesn't count as an action in the real sense, and it does not count as done virtuously. We are merely like animals. Our rational side is expressed only when we act from deliberation.

References

SparkNotes Editors. (2003). SparkNote on Nicomachean Ethics. Retrieved June 22, 2018, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/ethics/

Bartlett, R.C &Collins, S.D. (2012). Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, (eds/trans.), The University of Chicago Press, Chicago: