1.

Introduction
2. Types of “Ends”
3. Eudaimonia
4. Function of Human Beings
5. Virtue as the “Golden mean”
6. Deliberation and choice
7. Contemplation
INTRODUCTIO
N
 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
is
TELEOLOGICAL.

The Greek root “telos” means

“end,” “goal,” or “purpose.”
“Every art and every inquiry,
every action and every choice,
seems to aim at some good;
whence the good has rightly
been defined as that at which
all things aim.”

- Aristotle
HAPPINESS
 HAPPINES =
S
A person who lives a virtuous life will have a better chance at attaining happiness
than one who lives without virtue.
TYPES OF
“ENDS”
 ALL ACTIONS
AIM TOWARD AN
END
TWO MAJOR KINDS OF
ENDS:
 Instrumental Ends
 Intrinsic Ends
INSTRUMENTAL END
acts that are done as means for other ends.

INTRINSIC END
acts that are done for their own sake.
 INSTRUMENTA
L ENDS

SEMINARIA PRIEST
N INTRINSIC
END
EUDAIMONIA
 Aristotle explicates that the doctor’s art targets at
health, and shipbuilder’s ability targets at safe trip. But
these kind of ends have further end or good in view.
But there must be some end that is ULTIMATE. Men
agree that this good is
FORMATOR
•••
SEMINARIA
N
O
=
PRIEST

“ HAPPINESS ”
A right action
is
one that promotes
 A wrong
action is
one that is opposed to the attainment of
THE ULTIMATE GOOD IS

HAPPINES
S
FUNCTION OF
HUMAN
BEINGS
Analyzing the human nature, ARISTOTLE
suggests that we must discover its unique activity,
saying, that our human end “is not merely life.” If
this is the case, we don’t have any difference with
plants according to Aristotle. He said that he wants
what is peculiar to human beings. Then he came
to an idea that there is life of sensation but then
again, if this is the case, we have no difference
with animals. So, he came up with the idea that
human beings have soul that have in common
with the soul of both plants and animals.
Rational part Irrational part

Irrational
components

1
Appetitive Vegetative
component component
“As at the Olympic games it is not the finest and
the strongest people who are crowned, but they
who enter the lists, for out of these the prize-
men are selected; so too in life, of the honorable
and good, it is they who act who rightly win the
prizes.”
VIRTUE AS THE
GOLDEN
MEAN
 aristotle
defines virtue as a
DISPOSITION
 Virtue
He said that

is something we have to
develop. For instance, we are
not born with COURAGE. So
you develop this by disposing
yourself by doing
COURAGEOUS ACTS.
The Golden
“

Mean”
 THE GOLDEN MEAN
“EUDAIMONIA”

EXTREME EXTREME
DELIBERATION
--- & ---
CHOICE
Rational part
Irrational part

Irrational
components

1
Appetitive Vegetative
component component
 Rational part

TWO KINDS OF
REASONING:
THEORETICAL 1.)

It gives us knowledge of fixed principles or Philosophical wisdom.

2.) PRACTICAL
It gives us a rational guide to our moral action under the particular
circumstances in which we find ourselves.
 VOLUNTARY ACTS
INVOLUNTARY ACTS
 PRINCIPLE
DISTINCTION
INVOLUNTARY ACTS VOLUNTARY ACTS
1. a person is not responsible of his
action they are

2. done out of ignorance of

particular circumstances

3. done as a result of external Voluntary acts are those which a person is

compulsion or done to avoid a responsible for his actions because none
greater evil. of the qualities of involuntary act is in
force.
CONTEMPLATIO
N
Contemplation GOOD
GOODGOOD
GOOD
IS THE BEST GOOD
GOOD GOOD
GOOD
GOOD
GOODGOOD
GOOD
Activity! GOOD GOOD
GOODGOOD
GOOD
GOODGOOD
GOOD