Aristotle_Virtue_Ethics

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Aristotle was a great philosopher during the forth century B.C. Throughout his article “Virtue Ethics”, he concentrates upon the concepts of virtue and happiness. “happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue(p. 394).” Both virtue and happiness are related to one another, for happiness is achieved through virtues. Aristotle defines happiness as the “highest of all practical goods”. It is agreed by the masses that happiness is associated with living well. “For happiness we always desire for its own sake and never as a means of something else(p. 392).” The purpose of happiness is not to gain anything, but to seek for the sake of being happy. All actions focus primarily on the achievement of happiness; honor, pleasure, and intelligence may seem like they are desired as means to themselves, but all amount in an achievement of some kind of happiness. There are two different kinds of virtues: intellectual, which is taught directly, and moral, which is gained through self-experience. Aristotle views virtues as “traits that enable us to live well in communities(p. 389)” He holds the better good of the community higher than that of the individual. aristotle, happiness, virtue, virtues, excellence, mean, way, related, one, goodness, community, achieving, virtuep, two, throughout, through, soul, sake, reason, purpose, perfect, moral, means, individual, good, foolhardiness, extremes, extreme, directly, defines, best, attempt, article, activity, achievement