Moral philosophy

Eudaimonia

The good for a human life

Our final end

Eudaimonia vs Happiness

Eudaimonia is not a state of mind but relates to the activity of living

Eudaimnonia is objective

It is not easily changed

Final end

End that we desire for its own sake not for another purpose

Ergon

Somethings function or characteristic form of activity

Arete

A quality that aids the fulfilment of a things ergon

Eg. An excellence or virtue

The good for a species

Aristotle thinks a good specimen flourishes according to its species

If everything fits together he thinks we can identify the function of a species in terms of what is characteristic about it

Function argument

Being rational, guided by reasons, is the characteristic activity of human beings

Our virtues will be properties that enable us to do this well

So eudaimonia consists in activity of the soul which exhibits the virtues by being in accordance with reason

What does the good life involve

Virtue- we must act on virtue not posses it

Pleasure- a virtuous person loves living virtuously

Prosperity- we need certain amount of external good

How do we aqquire virtues

Through the habits we form during our upbringing

We become virtuous by practising eg. An instrument

4 reasons Aristotle thinks pleasure is good

Every creature aims at pleasure. This is a good indication that it is, for each thing, the good.

Everything avoids pain, so its contrary, pleasure, is good

We choose pleasure for its own sake, not for some further purpose.

Adding pleasure on to any good makes it more desirable.

Reasons against why pleasure is good obj 1

A self controlled person avoids an excess of certain bodily pleasure

Reasons pleasure is not good obj 2

The practically wise person does seeks pleasure in accordance with reason

Reason why pleasure is not good obj 3

Pleasure does not interfere with thought. Of all pleasurable activities, the pleasure of the other activities interferes.

Reasons why pleasure may bot be good obj 4

Only an excess of bodily pleasures is bad.

However disgraceful pleasures are not good

Disgraceful pleasures

Disgraceful pleasures are not really pleasures

the instance is bad because caused by something disgraceful

Pleasures are of different kinds, and only some pleasures are good

What is pleasure

Completes an unimpeded activities, the activity itself

Good pleasure

A pleasure is good when the activity that produces it is good and bad when the activity is bad

Theoretical reason

the contemplation of truth is the ‘highest’ activity of human beings

Other animals also consider and act on what is best for themselves

But they do not contemplate general truths.

Theoretical reasoning argument

P1) Theoretical reasoning js the best because theoretical reason is the best thing in us. With it we contemplate what is the best.

P2) we are able to undertake this activity more consciously so it leads to the most comtinuosky happy life

P3) jrs pleasures are the most pure and enduring pleasures of the body

P4) it is most what we our, it is our ergon

C) therefore the most pleasant life is a life of reason, however we should strive to live a life of philosophy

Voluntary actions

We know whar we are doing

We bring it about ourselves

Involuntary action

Involves ignorance of the particular circumstances of action

What you r actually doing, its consequences

Ignorance

Whether an action done from ignorance is involuntary depends on regret

Acting in ignorance vs from ignorance

Acting from ignorance is involuntary acting on influence counts as voluntary

Aristotle on why you should become a virtuous person

Eudaimonia

Proper functioning

Everything has a function it is good if it fulfils its function

Nature

Nature has built into us the desire to be virtuous

Being virtuous

Doing the right thing at the right time

Midpoints

Virtue is the md point between defficiancy of virtue and excess

Courage midpoint

Middle is courage defficiamcy is cowardice and excess is recklessness

Courage

Finding the right way to act

Consequentialism:

actions are morally judged by their consequences (an act is right if it maximises overall good)

Hedonism

pleasure is happiness and the only good

Hedonic principle

pleasure is and ought to be the only thing that motivates a person

utility

property of an object or action in virtue of which to tends to produce happiness

Felicific calculus

Benthams mathematical technique for determining the rightness of an action by calculating the amount of pleasure or pain it will produce

Equity principle

everyone’s happiness counts equally thus the right actions maximises the greatest happiness for the greatest number

Hedonic act utilitarianism (3)

Actions are morally right or wrong depending on consequentialism an act is right if it maximises what is good

The only thing that is good is happiness

No one’s happiness counts more than anyone else’s so an act is right if it leads to the greatest happiness of all those it affects

Bentham’s principle of utility: “The greates happiness principle” (long)

Principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the parties whose interest is in question

Quantitative hedonic utilitarianism

A form of utilitarianism that takes the pleasure to be the only good and right actions to be those that maximize total pleasure

Equity principle

claim that everyone’s happiness counts equally. Thus, right actions maximize the greatest happiness for the greatest number

Fallacy of composition

a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that something is true od a whole because it is true of a part of the whole

Higher and lower peasure

For mill some pleasures are higher than others meaning they are more valuable

Test for what pleasures are more valuable: If everyone who has experienced two types of pleasure prefers one type to the other than it is more valuable even if they gain less pleasure

Higher pleasures (3)

Mill says people prefer the pleasures of thought feeling and imagination to pleasures of the body and senses. Even though these capacities bring new kinds of pain.

“It is better to be a human dissatisfied then a pig satisfied.”

If Mill’s prediction here is wrong and people with the relevant experience, do not prefer these pleasures, then they are not higher pleasures

objections to higher and lower pleasures

People do not reliable pursue the “higher” pleasure of thought feeling and imagination

reply to objections of higher and lower pleasure

Opportunity to choose higher pleasures may be absent

Test requires us to consider the only of those choices who are competently acquainted with both types of pleasure

competent judge

someone who has tried both pleasures with seriousness and for an adequate amount of time