The Ethics of Aristotle

This course focuses
on the views of Aristotle (387–321 B.C.) about morality by means of a careful
study of his Nicomachean Ethics. Often called “the philosopher of common sense,”
Aristotle offers an extremely balanced account of many ethical questions. The
goal of this course will be to present his ideas clearly and to suggest ways in
which the thought of a philosopher from so long ago still bears tremendous
relevance for our own age. After providing some important background about
Aristotle’s general approach to philosophy, this course will turn to the text
of his main work on ethics. In the first book (and then again in the tenth), he
argues that the chief goal of human life must be something desirable for itself
and not merely as a means to something else. He then reviews the perennial candidates
for this goal, including pleasure, wealth, and honor, before arguing that the
only satisfactory answer to the question is happiness. Everything else,
including pleasure, wealth, and honor, may contribute to a happy life and may
even be necessary conditions for it, but only a life of genuine virtue will
make one truly happy.