PHIL 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Eudaimonia, Oligarchy, Scientific Method
26 Feb 2018
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Aristotle says that a virtue is the mean by reference to two vices: one of excess and the other of deficiency: thus, a person who practices and masters character traits that are good to have will become virtuous. A virtuous person in turn is able to lead a good life. The connection between our character and our action makes clear our moral character as a unified whole as opposed to a series of separate and isolated actions: for aristotle, the final end of man is eudaimonia or happiness. This is not drunken happiness but contentment of fulfillment. In this sense, the development of character becomes important. Equity as justice can correct the rigidity of the rule of law and correct the generality of law. Such an insight can lend itself to questions of punishment in modern systems as the case: aristotle recognized that a community could organize itself into at least six kinds of go(cid:448)"t.
