The Point of Ethics
Youthful people lack this important knowledge and are thus indisposed to pursue ethics
Experience
Aristotle says everyone agrees this is the final human good
Happiness/eudaimonia
If the function of a knife is to cut, then this is what a good knife does
Cuts well
T/F: Aristotle believes external goods are not required for happiness
False
Give an example of a “for the sake of” chain
Go to class → learn material → pass class → get degree → get job → make money → be happy
Youthful people are prone to following this instead of reason
Passions
Aristotle believes that this material thing is not the human good
Wealth
A thing that performs its function will is this
A “good” thing
This is an external good required for the exercise of the virtue of liberality/generosity
Money
A better translation for Aristotle’s view of happiness may be
Living well, flourishing
People who can grasp “the that” or “the fact” are brought up in this way
In “good habits”
Aristotle believes that this freedom to do what you please is not the human good
Pleasure
A thing performs its function well when it performs its function with this
Virtue
This is an external good required for the exercise of the virtue of temperance/moderation
Food
Provide the conclusion for this argument: 1) A good X is one that performs its function well. 2) A function is performed well when it is performed with virtue. 3) The human function is rational activity.
4) A good human being/happiness is rational activity in accordance with virtue
Criminals may not make these judgments that are necessary for the proper student of ethics
Correct particular moral judgments
Aristotle says this is happiness, and the goal of human life
Highest/best/supreme/chief/human good
This is the human function
Rational activity
T/F: The virtuous use of external goods is still relative to the person
True
Rational activity requires the knowledge of this
Concepts
Aristotle believes that, like an archer who doesn’t know their target, this can happen if you don’t know the final good.
You can miss
This is why the human good is “final”
Because it is valuable for its own sake and not for the sake of anything else
The human function is not these two things
Growth & nutrition and perception
This is why Aristotle thinks external goods are necessary for happiness
Because you need them to exercise some of the virtues
Growth & nutrition and perception are not “peculiar” to humans because of this
They are not characteristic of and essential to