Nicomachean Ethics
Virtue exists as the final purpose for people, and people can use conducts to achieve virtue in order to gain happiness, which is considered to be the most practical virtue according to Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
Aristotle believes that human soul can be divided into three parts—passions, faculties and states of character, of which we do not praise or blame our passions or faculties because they are natural. (5, Nicomachean Ethics) However, virtue is the exclusive practice that human have and a state of character inside a person, normally seen as the praise to certain outstanding actions. Virtue “is the excellence and makes the work of that thing be done well” (6, Nicomachean Ethics); in other words, a person’s goodness is within himself/herself as well as drives him/her to do right things. Virtue also has a close relation to happiness, because virtue will make people do the rights, which will lead to happiness eventually.
The happiness in people’s talk is mostly known as the physical happiness, nevertheless, in Aristotle’s points of view, happiness is the best virtue, which is the morally mental feeling of human being. As the saying “money can never buy happiness” indicates, happiness can be gained by hard working rather than fortune. In terms of business, wealth is never a short-cut to success or happiness. Moral virtue is a rational principle and a mean, that guides people to act morally when doing business so as to pursue the best virtue—happiness.
Happiness is not about doing everything based on moral virtue, but exists when we are trying to practice virtue with all efforts. Only can we practice virtue properly, will the happiness come.
Work Cited
"The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle." The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2013. Form <http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html>.
"Notes on Nicomachean Ethics." Baidu
Aristotle believes that human soul can be divided into three parts—passions, faculties and states of character, of which we do not praise or blame our passions or faculties because they are natural. (5, Nicomachean Ethics) However, virtue is the exclusive practice that human have and a state of character inside a person, normally seen as the praise to certain outstanding actions. Virtue “is the excellence and makes the work of that thing be done well” (6, Nicomachean Ethics); in other words, a person’s goodness is within himself/herself as well as drives him/her to do right things. Virtue also has a close relation to happiness, because virtue will make people do the rights, which will lead to happiness eventually.
The happiness in people’s talk is mostly known as the physical happiness, nevertheless, in Aristotle’s points of view, happiness is the best virtue, which is the morally mental feeling of human being. As the saying “money can never buy happiness” indicates, happiness can be gained by hard working rather than fortune. In terms of business, wealth is never a short-cut to success or happiness. Moral virtue is a rational principle and a mean, that guides people to act morally when doing business so as to pursue the best virtue—happiness.
Happiness is not about doing everything based on moral virtue, but exists when we are trying to practice virtue with all efforts. Only can we practice virtue properly, will the happiness come.
Work Cited
"The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle." The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2013. Form <http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html>.
"Notes on Nicomachean Ethics." Baidu
Cited: "The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle." The Internet Classics Archive | Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2013. Form <http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html>. "Notes on Nicomachean Ethics." Baidu Wenku. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2013. From <http://wenku.baidu.com/view/1a8146d549649b6648d7470f.html>.