PHIL 3060 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Nicomachean Ethics, The Good Life, Medieval Philosophy

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

Document Summary

Aristotle was eudaimonistic being well-spirited, happy, virtuous was an important part of the good life for him rationally regulated: the good life consists of having an ordered soul whereby one"s emotions are. E. g. pleasure is controlled, one has self-restraint (temperance) Emotions/desires must be in line with rational principles: moral virtues are good habits/dispositions of the soul which arise by doing. The doctrine of the mean urges us to employ the right amount of characteristics/emotions in a given situation; so, it is not just a theory of moderation: the right thing to do depends on context. It is just as bad, for aristotle, to indulge in all pleasure as it is to deny oneself of all pleasure. There being three objects of choice and three of avoidance : the noble (that which is considered good/fine), advantageous (that which would carry personal benefit), pleasant (that which feels pleasurable)