Essay on Life’s Moral Character - 1063 Words

Life’s Moral Character Virtue is a state that decides consisting in a mean, which is relative to us; it is a mean between two vices, one of excess and one of deficiency. In the book, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle uses his collection of lecture notes to establish the best way to live and acquire happiness. According to Aristotle, to live a happy life, you must obtain these to become morally good. Defining virtue and choice with the â€Å"doctrine of the mean† will guide our choices and build up moral character. When we follow this guide of choices can a series of good choices change a vicious character? Aristotle states that the human function is the life activity of the part of the soul that has reason and I will try to explain those†¦show more content†¦129). According to Aristotle, moral virtue is a means to an end, happiness. Aristotle maintains virtues are formed by repetitions. It is by doing just acts that a just man is produced. And by doing just acts without the kind of habit formation â€Å"no one would have even the prospect of being good.† (N.E. 40) Aristotle believes to make a citizen good he has to form good habits which can form virtues. Aristotle holds the view that the goal of a human life is to be happy. He rationalizes this to be so because humans, unlike plants and animals, hold the ability to reason (N.E. 129). Aristotle claims moral virtue becomes a result of habit. Aristotle relates moral virtue with nature. Nature has a certain course of action, which must be followed. Anything contradicting the course of nature would be classified as non-uniform. Aristotle views choice in relation to the end or good of all our actions which he defines as â€Å"eudemonia† or happiness. The attainment of happiness depends upon the acquisition of specific virtues which are attained through practice and which enable the human being to function in its proper way or nature. He defines choice as a â€Å"deliberate appetition† which involve s a dispositional directedness toward some end (a good or apparent good) and the rational deliberation of how to achieve that end (N.E. 205). These are actions that are done in the spur of the moment. These things are driven by desire and spirit and not what we would normally callShow MoreRelatedYouth Sports and Character Development3975 Words   |  16 PagesYouth Sports and Character Development Introduction Character development is not something that can be gained or developed over night. Character development is the multiple life skills that an individual builds within themself throughout their lifespan. When a person develops good character in their early years of life, they will benefit in the long run because they used the life skills they gained and put them to use, becoming a successful individual in all aspects of life. 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