PHIL 3060 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: The Good Life, Eudaimonia, Episteme

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 3060
• Professor: Peter Eardley

Document Summary

By 13th century, everyone reading aristotle universities are in full swing, with close relationship between professors and students. Broader than kantian and utilitarian focus on morally right actions: aim is to have an ethical, self-fulfilling, moral life. The good life, the happy life: happiness = eudaimonia. The function of something is its characteristic activity. E. g. the function of a knife is to cut, and if it does this well, it is a good knife. Humans also have a function, and those who perform their functions properly are good human beings, while those who perform poorly are humans, but bad ones. Reasoning, rationality; so the good life consists in using our reason, and using it well. What implications does applying our reason/knowledge have on the moral life: the ethics are concerned with the type of reasoning which involves action, we must bring our emotions into harmony with our reason.