Reflection of Aristotle

Reflection of Aristotle

Aristotle believed that the goal of all human life is to achieve ultimate happiness. Happiness is the final Utopia or the end of “a life worth living.” Human instinct is characterized by achieving personal fulfillment, thus leading to happiness. Aristotle warns against going astray and “preferring a life suitable to beasts” by assuming happiness and pleasure are equal. Living a life preferred by beasts incapacitates a person from achieving the end Utopia. Even though Aristotle does not equate the two, he does stress that minimal pleasure is required to achieve happiness. Someone lacking in vital necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter are not capable of achieving happiness due to their lack of pleasure. Aristotle sets forth two prerequisites for the final Utopia; a person must possess an intellectual virtue and a moral virtue. Intellectual virtue, or excellence of intelligence, must be learned, where as moral virtue, excellence of character, must be practiced and thus obtained through force of habit. Aristotle teaches that by acquiring and balancing intellectual and moral virtues are the only way to achieve personal fulfillment, thus achieving the ultimate goal in human life, happiness.

Aristotle believed in two dimensions, intellectual virtue and moral virtue. An intellectual virtue is defined as excellence of intelligence. Intellectual virtue consists of philosophical wisdom and practical wisdom. Philosophical wisdom is theoretical and can only be achieved by understanding the truth of reality’s structure. Practical wisdom must be understood when constructing daily routines. An intellectual virtue is achieved by forming a compulsion to engage in morally correct acts; it is habitual to be good. A person with intellectual virtue does not struggle with vicious temptations such as cheating, stealing, and etc. but rather by ambitiously being honest. Gaining intellectual virtue is more than just knowing what is good; but actually doing what is good and can only be achieved through practice. A moral virtue is defined as excellence of character through choices. A moral person will make choices out of good faith; choosing what is good for the sake of being good. Moral choices must be done voluntarily not by coincidence or ignorance. Someone cannot be deemed a hero due to their own mishap. Someone accidentally going the wrong way down a one-way-street blocks a get-away car from passing. The traffic-violator cannot take credit for stopping the criminals due to coincidence by his default in directions. Actions done by ignorance cannot be rationalized to be substantially moral. A person may act by reason of ignorance or act in ignorance. Acting by reason of ignorance is done by acting on good intentions without realizing potential danger and does not exempt a person from morality. A nurse distributing milk to patients may give a lactose intolerant patient chocolate milk instead of soy milk not realizing that the chocolate milk will make the patient sick (which she would definitely loose her job). The nurse had good intentions but she fell short and caused more damage. Acting in ignorance cannot be justified to due incapacitation or other unusual circumstances. A drug user cannot justify a bank robbery because of the voices in his head. If he would not have participated in drug use then the voices would not have told him to rob a bank. Actions done due to fear or accident are exempt from the moral realm. Aristotle taught that a virtuous person must obtain both dimensions in order to achieve the ultimate goal of human life.

Aristotle believed that contemplation is the best from of life and is “the highest and most