Aristotle Ethics

Aristotle believed that the universe was based on a hierarchy system. Each component of the hierarchy had a reason for being a part of the universe. Rational human beings were at the top of the chain. This is because they had the ability to reason, and could develop wise and virtuous qualities throughout life. If a man developed the qualities, he would live well and reach eudaimon, which translated means the ultimate happiness. In The Nichomean Ethics I.3., Aristotle said "Men generally agree that the highest good attainable by action is happiness, and identify living well and doing well with happiness."

Because the way to gain happiness was through wisdom and good virtue, according to Aristotle, there were sometimes problems that occurred. When a man had bad virtues, and chose to do as he pleased without regard to the morality of the action, he was said to have moral weakness. A man would not live a harmonious life if he had bad morals. In The Nichomean Ethics VII.2., Aristotle said "The man asleep, mad, or drunk may have knowledge and not use it, and this is the condition of men under the influence of passions."

In order to be virtuous again, a man would have to withdraw from the actions that were immoral. When he did this, he would be able to continue on the path to virtuous behaviors. A long period of restraint would teach the man to hate the immoral actions he once partook in. In The Nichomean Ethics II.1., Aristotle said "By abstaining from pleasures we become temperate and once temperate we are more able to abstain from them. Likewise, once habituated to despise what is terrible we become courageous."

Aristotle's thinking only makes sense when a person believes that all humans are on this earth with a great purpose. If a person thinks that humans are here through natural selection or evolution, being wise and virtuous does not make a difference. In fact, natural selection in the past would often require a person to live immorally so that they would be the survivor.