Aristotelian virtue ethics

How to live a flourishing life?

Aristotelian philosophy and the place of virtue ethics in it

• Aristotle attempts to identify what are the characteristics of human being that differentiate it from other species.

• Every species has its own role in the universe. • It is the fulfilling its role well that defines what

is the ultimate good of that thing or animal.

Happiness

• When one does what one is supposed to do, one feels fulfillment.

• In other words, when one is what one is supposed to be, one is happy.

• Happiness / satisfaction is considered to be a good thing.

• In fact happiness is the ONLY really good thing in the sense that we don’t want it for the sake of another thing (as a tool) but for its own sake.

• Happiness is an indicator of life lived correctly i.e. virtuous alignment with nature.

The animal called ”human being”

• There are natural criteria for judging whether the act is leads to happiness (eudaimonia) to misery

• These criteria are defined by what the human being (as a species) is.

• By observing, what makes human being happy (eudaimonia) and what make him suffer, one can find out what kind of acts are virtuous.