Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics I-II

Who was Aristotle and what was his connection to Plato?

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who studied at Plato's Academy in Athens before becoming a tutor to Alexander the Great.

What is the name of Aristotle's philosophical school in Athens?

The Lyceum.

What is the key theme of the Nicomachean Ethics according to Aristotle?

The examination of the nature of the good and happiness as the highest good.

What method did Aristotle employ to develop philosophy?

He used formal tools systematically to solve philosophical problems.

How does Aristotle's view of knowledge differ from Plato's?

Aristotle believed knowledge comes from our senses and actual experience, while Plato emphasized abstract ideas.

What does Aristotle mean by 'final causality' or 'teleology'?

The concept that everything has a purpose or end, which explains its existence.

According to Aristotle, what is the science of the good for human beings?

Politics, as it is both practical and normative for organizing lives.

What is Aristotle's criticism regarding the precision of ethics compared to mathematics?

Ethics cannot provide simple, final answers like mathematics can, as it deals with complex human experiences.

What is the highest good according to Aristotle?

Happiness (eudaimonia), which is the activity of living well and doing well.

How does Aristotle categorize human lives in the Nicomachean Ethics?

He identifies three kinds: the life of enjoyment, the political life, and the contemplative life.

What is Aristotle's perspective on how virtues are acquired?

Virtues are acquired through practice and habituation, not merely through theoretical understanding.

What does Aristotle say about moral virtue?

Moral virtue is a state of character that arises from repeated actions and practice.

How does Aristotle define virtue?

Virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, determined by rational principle.

What did Aristotle believe happiness is a condition of?

Happiness is always desirable in itself and is the ultimate end for which all actions are performed.

What limitations arise with Aristotle's definition of virtue being on a mean?

It raises questions about whether the right action is always a mean and how this varies for different individuals.