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A Genealogy

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Happiness is a life of honor and glory, which is better if full. Achilles is a tragic hero, for he has to choose between a full and undistinguished life and one that is short but glorious. Death is a release from human suffering.

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Always be first and best and superior to the others. Arete is pursuit of unstinted individual excellence. This was the code of Alexander of Macedonia as he essayed to conquer the world.

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There are two storage jars for humans: one with gifts of good, one with gifts of bad. Zeus either mingles the two for someone, or gives only of the jar of bad (Il. XXIV.525-531).

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Human life not to be judged till its end. Death is preferable to life. Consider Solon of Athens as he visits Croesos of Lydia.

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1) Tellus of Athens: Athenian citizen with fine children and many grandchildren, who died a glorious death on the battlefield (I.xxx.3). 2) Cleobis and Biton: Drew a wagon with their mother to the Argive Heraion in honor of the festival of Hera. Mother prayed to Hera to give sons what is best for them. Sons died while sleeping in the temple. It is is better for a human being to be dead than to live (I.xxx.3).

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The perfect mean is a sort of outstandingly magnanimous person ( ). The magnanimous person will delay acting in many insubstantial affairs for one moment of great activity. One action does not make a person virtuous.

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Moderation and self-restraint, not arrogance and excess. and suggest ethical merit comes with knowing ones limits and oneself. Croesus himself suffered the death of his son becausehe thought himself the happiest of human beings (I.xxxiv.1). Divine jealously is a threat to those who are immoderate. Justice and temperance are main virtues.

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Hesiod: Hard work, respect for property, justice in courts of law. Tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Plato: Republic is inquiry into justice and psychical and political equilibrium. Aristotle: Doctrine of the mean is perhaps the best illustration of Delphic moderation. Greek Medicine: This was also characteristic of Greek medicine.

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Ancient: Primacy of the Agent Modern: Primacy of Action

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Actions are neutral and acquire value or lack of it by their agents. Courageous actions are the actions of courageous men. Courage is an attribute of the soul. Worth of character determines worth of actions.

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An action is deemed virtuous because of the agent performing it. This begins with a focus on the good person. We find out what to do in circumstances by focussing on what the good person would do or does.

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Goodness and virtue predominate over duty and obligation. An action is good because it is done by a good person. Exemplars are key.

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How do we identify a good person? It is suggested that such a person will be recognizable because of internal harmony. Just acts preserve this harmony. There are no general rules to determine when an action is right. Circumstances are too complex.

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Primacy of Action (Actions-Determine- Character Account) We are good because we do the right sorts of actions. Worth of actions determines worth of character. Concerned with morality, not ethicsi.e., that an action be the right sort of action, not that a person be the right sort of person.

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This begins with a focus on the right action. We seek to know what the right thing to do is and this is determined by notions of duty, obligation, or even perceived consequences. Duty and obligation predominate over goodness and virtue. A person becomes good by doing good actions. Actions determine worth. Kantian deontology, Epicureanism, Millian utilitarianism are examples.

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Immense problems in trying to determine what ones duty is. There seem to be exceptions to every rule (deontology). Difficulties in factoring in all elements involved in perceived consequences of an action (utilitarianism). This makes vicious actions (with good perceived consequences) virtuous actions (utilitarianism). What makes one choose good actions in the first place? For deotologists, we need a story about how reasoning is shaped; for utilitarians, if character is not an issue, why should one strive for the greatest possible utility?