In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents a theory of moral responsibility that involves actions and character acquisition. He examines when and how individuals are responsible, and provides an objection to when people are never responsible for what they do. I first describe the concepts of moral...
Introduction to Aristotle’s Doctrine Aristotle’s doctrine about living well begins with a fundamental understanding of ends and means. Life’s purpose is not simply acquiring material possessions, such as a car, as an end or goal. Instead, there is a more profound ultimate end, goal, or...
Aristotle and the Philosophy of Logic Among the first of the great philosophers to study the philosophy of logic was Aristotle. Aristotle used logic as a way to discover meaning, through his work he developed a system of logic that when followed would lead an...
For most people today, being a good person simply means following a set of commonly agreed upon moral guidelines. However, those guidelines have increasingly been getting blurred and convoluted from culture to culture and generation to generation. The question remains whether the definition of morality...
The first basic assertion that is made by Plato and Aristotle about human nature is that people are, according to fundamental differences in their natures, suited to fill different roles in society, that natural aptitude is destiny. What must be made clear, however, is whether...
What does it mean to be human? We are “decision-making creatures capable of overruling [their] own instincts.” It naturally follows that those tools which enable humans to exhibit these unique characteristics are the most essential to human existence and evolution. For thousands of years, Rhetoric...
Aristotle’s favorite tragedy was Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The play begins with the Laius and Jocasta, the king and queen of Thebes. Upon the birth of their son, Oedipus, an oracle proclaims that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Petrified the...
Introduction Ancient Greece was arguably one of the greatest civilizations of all time. Beginning in the 8th century BC and ending around 146 BC, this era introduced some of the greatest innovations in literature, technology, and philosophy. But with such a large civilization came many...
The leadership of the Leviathan, or, the ‘mortal god’, is a central theme in Thomas Hobbes’ theoretical masterpiece, The Leviathan. Literally, the word Leviathan comes from the Hebrew word livyathan, which etymologically denotes “to wind, turn, twist”[1]. In biblical tradition, it refers to the “dragon,...
Happiness is a world that is often characterized as subjective and or synonymous with success which too can be just as personal as the word happiness. However, Aristotle would describe happiness with an activity. An activity that pushes us toward a state of Eudaimonia. So,...
Metaphysics is generally thought of to be the study or profound consideration of what is truly real and exists in life. Thought history many great thinkers have explored this concept and attempted to describe, define, and exemplify their deeply held beliefs about the realities of...
Consider the following list: justice, citizenship, law, happiness (or another goal of human existence). Which of these four is the most important foundation for a political existence, a civilized life? Defend your position by a close analysis of Herodotus and Aristotle. One potential answer is...
The following will analyze Aristotle’s Categories 9a4-9a13 in which Aristotle shares his definitions of habit and disposition. This paper will show how even though Aristotle’s The Categories was written in 350 BCE, his definitions of dispositions and habits are still referenced in science to better...
Plato and Aristotle both reject the moral relativism of the sophists and address the question of how man can achieve absolute virtue. In The Republic, Plato constructs an existence proof, a kallipolis that produces philosopher-kings who grasp the eternal Good and rule benevolently. Aristotle discusses...
Apollo is the god of many things, mainly music and medicine. He is believed to come from the northern invaders of Greece who viewed him as either the sun god or as the Good Sheppard. Ville Valo is a Finnish musician that has a huge...
Introduction: The debate over political philosophy has long been centered around the conflict between the ideal and the reality. One of the most interesting debates is between Machiavelli and Aristotle. While both philosophers aim to achieve an ideal state, they differ in their approaches. Background:...
The theory that the philosopher Aristotle put forward regarding causation is one of his most well-known and influential. In fact, his ideas have dominated perceptions on this issue throughout most of western philosophy since his work appeared approximately 2,300 years ago. His theory centers around...
Introduction It is safe to say that happiness is probably one of the most sought-after goals that people from all around the globe pursue. The concept of happiness, however, is not the same for each individual. Even though happiness is a universal goal, each individual...
In book two of Aristotle’s Politics, Aristotle defines his ideal state by criticizing the values put forward in Plato’s The Republic. In doing so, Aristotle censures Plato’s idea of state unification through sharing as much as possible, including wives, children, and property. Aristotle counters that...
The rationale of the Dalai Lama has been a concept passed down from many generations. Being a line of reincarnations, very rarely have the morals deviated from the original Dalai Lama. Said to embody compassion, the Dalai Lama defined his duty to serve humanity. In...
In today’s modern age originally, Aristotle defined rhetoric by any way of persuasion while appealing to emotion. Aristotle defines rhetoric as the counterpart of dialectic. A more definitive description of rhetoric is using symbolisms as a method of persuasion to clarify or an understanding. How...
According to Aristotle in his book Poetics, the cathartic effects of a tragedy are its purpose, which is mediated through its form. An examination of Shakespeare’s King Lear in relation to the Aristotelian elements of tragedy – focusing on his compliance with Plot and inversion...
As A.E. Haigh notes, Aristotle treats Aeschylus with complete indifference in the Poetics. Throughout his writings, the standards of dramatic writing are supplied by Sophocles and Euripides. He fully recognizes Aeschylus’ role in the introduction of a second actor and in the expansion of dialogue,...
Introduction The study’s epicenter of discussion is the comparison between the Indian Buddhist logic, initiated by the founder of Buddhism – Gautama Buddha and then carried further and deeper into the intricate and finer details by the various scholars of the Buddhist school of thought,...
Aristotle breaks down the plot of the tragedy into three parts, reversal, recognition and catharsis. Shakespeare includes all three components of plot in his play, Henry IV Part I. He establishes a tragic hero, Harry Percy, and allows him to rise to power and influence. Then...
The Major of Casterbridge Aristotle was one of the greatest philosophers of Ancient Greece. His analysis of the ideal form of tragic plays has become a guideline for later playwrights in Western Civilization. The most important element of Aristotelian tragedy is the experience of catharsis...
As we get older, we realize that not many things in life are timeless, but rather fads. That shirt that was trendy in high school, or that band that was always on the radio. Trends come and go, but ethos pathos logos is here to...
What is the best regime? Building from his discussion of happiness, virtue, and the good life in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle answers this question elaborately in his later text, The Politics. In his elaboration, Aristotle investigates numerous regimes, looking particularly at what claims bring them about...
Tragedy is a serious play in which the main character is characterized to have some psychological weakness, thereby going through a series of misfortunes that lead to his destructive end. Aristotle in his Poetics posited that catharsis is the defining feature and definitive end of...
The idea of deliberation day as set out in the paper co-authored by Ackerman and Fishkin proposes a new national holiday for large scale deliberative polling which gives citizens the opportunity to become better informed about upcoming major elections, to intensely question the candidates on...
