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.
Slide 3
Slide 4
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.
Slide 5
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).
Slide 6
Human life not to be judged till its end. Death is preferable
to life. Consider Solon of Athens as he visits Croesos of
Lydia.
Slide 7
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).
Slide 8
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.
Slide 9
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.
Slide 10
Slide 11
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.
Slide 12
Ancient: Primacy of the Agent Modern: Primacy of Action
Slide 13
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.
Slide 14
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.
Slide 15
Goodness and virtue predominate over duty and obligation. An
action is good because it is done by a good person. Exemplars are
key.
Slide 16
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.
Slide 17
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.
Slide 18
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.
Slide 19
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?