1. Aristotle’s Ethics

2. Aristotle  Lived from 384-322 BCE  One of the greatest philosophers of Ancient Greece  Student of Plato  Tutor to Alexander the Great  Founded his own school, the lyceum, where he contributed to nearly every field of human knowledge

3. Ethical Approach  Aristotle use a scientific or empirical approach to ethical problems  On most topics, he was a rationalist  Common sense considers the “good” life to be one that is HAPPY.  What is the “good life” for Aristotle? HAPPINESS!  Happiness is not the end though; it’s a way of doing things

4. Classical Questions and Aristotle’s Answers  What is the good life for people?  The good life is a life of happiness  How ought people behave?  People ought to believe so as to achieve happiness

5. What does it MEAN!?  There are various ways of living for different people  What is good for one person may not be for another  One cannot tell prior to actual experimentation, by reason alone, which is the correct way of living for someone  The proper way for one to behave in the moral sense is in accordance with the mean  Virtuous moderation is the goal  In order to achieve happiness, people must act moderately  They must strive for the mean between two extremes

6. Doctrine of the Mean  Where excess and deficiency are both vices, the mean is the virtue  Example: Money  Excess (vice): Extravagant and wasteful  Deficiency (vice): Stingy  VIRTUE (MEAN): Generous

7. Philosophy Question of the Day!!!  Character Traits = Traits that define you as an individual  Examples: Honest, Trustworthy, Smart, Selfish, etc…  If you could create a society, what character traits would you want that society to value?  Pick 5 Character Traits that would be the most valuable to a society and explain why  (what would be ideal?)  What character traits do we actually value here in the United States? Are they the same?