PHIL250 Lecture 26: Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics
5 Jan 2016
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Document Summary
Everything in a certain way is directed towards the good, the truth in the leading sense. What is the ultimate good and what is good for us is not all that different even though aristotle suggests so at the beginning. Impasses: sophistical arguments (sophists make the weaker argument stronger, bring up apparent contradictions which prevents you from thinking and coming to a conclusion); philosophical way: subtly think through how to resolve complications. Book 3 impasse: socrates says everyone wishes for the good and if they don"t they are just ignorant. If this is so, then none could be immoral. So aristotle says we need to distinguish between willing/unwilling and choice and how people are responsible for their choices and you develop a certain kind of character by choosing things. Main impasse of unrestraint/restraint: socrates says no one can be unrestrained because we all choose the good, what we think is best. Who doesn"t choose the good, they are ignorant.
