#nicomacheanethics

[paradiselostix]

#OneSwallowDoesNotMakeASummer by #Aristotle is a selection from the philosopher's #NicomacheanEthics. It's not only about aiming the good, or the distinction between virtues and vices, but also about attaining pleasure and "#eudaimonia" (meaning happiness or welfare), which Aristotle named the highest state in life, by living virtuously, righteously. Though somewhat boring, it's a must-read in these times people seem to have forgotten kindness, virtuousness and happiness. ~ #Aristoteles'ten #BirKırlangıçlaYazGelmez, filozofun #NikomakhosaEtik eserinden bir seçki. Eser, sadece hayatta iyiyi hedeflemek veya erdemler ve ahlaksızlıklar arasındaki ayrımla ilgili değil; erdemli, doğru yaşayarak zevke ve Aristoteles'in hayattaki en üstün durum olarak adlandırdığı, (mutluluk ya da refah anlamındaki) "eudaimonia"ya erişmek ile de alakalı. Kısmen sıkıcı olsa da, insanların nezaketi, erdemliliği ve mutluluğu unutmuş gibi göründüğü bu zamanlarda okunması gerekli. ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ «… iyi olmak zor bir iştir; . . . fazla kolaydır sinirlenmek—herkes bunu yapabilir—veya para saçıp savurmak; ama doğru kişiye doğru ölçüde doğru zamanda doğru sebeple doğru şekilde hissetmek veya davranmak—işte bu kolay değildir…» (II. Kitap: Ahlâki İyilik, 9. Bölüm) ~ «… it is a difficult business to be good; . . . too it is easy to get angry—anyone can do that—or to give and spend money; but to feel or act towards the right person to the right extent at the right time for the right reason in the right way—that is not easy…» (Book II: Moral Goodness, Ch. IX; J. A. K. Thomson & Hugh Tredennick translation) ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ «Tek bir kırlangıçla yaz gelmez; ne de tek bir günle. Benzer şekilde, ne bir gün, ne de kısa bir zaman, bir insanı mutlu ve kutlu yapmaya yeterlidir.» (I. Kitap: Hayatın Amacı, 7. Bölüm) ~ «One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy.» (Book I: The Object of Life, Ch. VII) ⁂ ⁂ ⁂ #Aristo #TheNicomacheanEthics #Ethics #happiness #PenguinGreatIdeas #philosophy #nonfiction #ancientgreece #TekBirKırlangıçlaYazGelmez #etik #book #books #read #reading #bookstagram #instabook #bookworm #classics https://www.instagram.com/p/CmtE6mjg_dE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chvazquez]

La #sabiduríaantigua al rescate (una vez más) de la vida moderna 👊👍 #MIT #philosopher #NicomacheanEthics #Aristotle #problems #despair #life #joy #joyful #leisure #modern #digital #ancientwisdom #book 📖 https://www.instagram.com/p/ByftlI6hics/?igshid=1qfe488fhacmc

[insidemyheadnoggin]

//On Virtues and Vices

Thoughts after Nicomachean ethics by Aristotle

In this book, Aristotle discusses the nature of virtues and vices. How they play in our lives, and how they are just a case of moderation and vices are the result of having too much or lacking of said values. The main goal is to stay in the perfect ratio of the value. The example can be explained with ambition: Too much ambition may be perceived as being greedy and having too little may be perceived as indolence. With that, I have some thoughts and opinion regarding the matter.

For this topic, I will choose the virtue of being patient. Patience is a virtue with strong relationship with endurance. The ability to endure and control one’s impulse to act, with the perception of there will be a better time to act. However, being patient also means to acknowledge the want inside of an individual to act upon the emotion, but able to hold it for a better good. Being patient for most of the time are not done for pleasure or voluntarily, but rather out of necessary. It then can be looked through this perspective:

An individual being patient, and refusing to act upon his/her emotion can be interpreted as an act of dishonesty at one-self. However, dishonesty is more of a vice than a virtue. But when framed under the perfect light, it becomes the virtue of patience. I realized that in this scenario someone can be patient without in a state of denial and being dishonest to one-self, but I believe those states are rare, as we are creatures of impulse.

[tatetot22-blog]

Hug All the Elephants!

     I commend Roger Crisp and Aristotle for their extensive analysis of this Rubik’s Cube of ultimate happiness. However, both the translation and explanation conflict immensely with a lot of young, hip ideology us students have these days. This makes many of us sneer at the thought of some of Aristotle’s points and are left with a questioning look and a cocked head at others. As established in Book I, happiness “is a certain kind of activity of the soul in accordance with virtue” (Nicomachean Ethics, 15). Many of us disagreed with the thought of happiness, a free and lively feeling, being directly tied to virtue, a strict and limiting ideal. This idea of happiness as the most basic form of good anyone could experience belittles many of Aristotle’s arguments. For this reason, I believe Mr. Crisp (or should I say Mr. Missed Opportunity) got the translation wrong. Happiness isn’t the right word, but I believe contentment to be quite fitting in a tux and tie.

     Let me wrap my interpretation of Aristotle’s ideas of virtue and, more accurately, contentment with a pretty pink bow for you. Aristotle establishes that “excess and deficiency are characteristics of vice, the mean characteristic of virtue,” so moderation seems to pin the tail on the virtue donkey (30). Therefore, acting in perfectly balanced moderation is characteristic of living with contentment. Discovering these ceilings and the floors in all things requires experimentation in order to find balance. However, when deficiency or excess come about along the way, these dissatisfy your psyche in some form. This dissatisfaction works in opposition to living with contentment. In this way, acting in contentment, happiness in Crisp’s words, is directly affected by acting in moderation, virtue in Crisp’s words. Thusly, Aristotle can adequately argue things that made us turn up our noses originally. Here is an example that speaks to me in this light. Aristotle argues that “a child is not happy either, since his age makes him incapable of doing such [virtuous] actions” (16). Because children don’t have the experience and practice to know the limits, they cannot act in moderation and, therefore, cannot be content. This mindset is a more accurate and, frankly, more agreeable interpretation than when I say that children cannot be virtuous and, therefore, cannot be happy.

     What I think can also be improved in this argument is not a lack of translation, but rather a change in Aristotle’s argument. He theorizes that acting “about the right people, for the right end, and in the right way” is virtuous, making virtue the bullseye on the dartboard (30). Kirakiraposts questions that “with virtue so difficult to obtain, is anyone truly happy?” With this in mind, I believe that there is no objective, god-defined ‘right’ way that you are striving to act. Rather, I believe that your idea of moderation alone and your idea of your own limits determines what actions dissatisfy you and, therefore when you live with contentment. Doesn’t the idea that contentment stems from your balance in life just make sense? So, as one does when hugging an elephant, embrace the grey!