Group 6

Frameworks and principle behind our moral disposition

1. Aristotle

Who is aristotle?

Aristotle (c. 384 B.C. to 322 B.C.) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist who is still
considered one of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology and ethics. Aristotle wrote an estimated
200 works, most in the form of notes and manuscript drafts touching on reasoning, rhetoric, politics,
ethics, science and psychology. Some of his most notable works include Nichomachean Ethics, Politics,
Metaphysics, Poetics and Prior Analytics.

In Nichomachean Ethics, which is believed to have been named in tribute to Aristotle’s son,
Nicomachus, Aristotle prescribed a moral code of conduct for what he called “good living.” He
asserted that good living to some degree defied the more restrictive laws of logic, since the real world
poses circumstances that can present a conflict of personal values. That said, it was up to the individual
to reason cautiously while developing his or her own judgment.

A. Telos

Do you believe that everything has a purpose? Aristotle, the ancient Greek father of western philosophy,
thought so, and he called that purpose, telos (pronounced ‘TELL-os’ or ‘TAY-los’). This important
term can be translated variously as “end,” “goal,” or “purpose.” Aristotle used it in a more
specific and subtle sense—the inherent purpose of each thing, the ultimate reason for each thing being
the way it is, whether created that way by human beings or nature.

Examples of Telos

a. The telos of human artifacts

The purposes of human-created artifacts;

i.e. books are for reading, chairs are for sitting, etc.
b. The telos of living things:

The purposes of the natural features of living things;

i.e. wings are for flying, ears are for hearing.

According to Aristotle, we have a telos as humans, which it is our goal to fulfill. This telos is based on our
uniquely human capacity for rational thought.

c. The telos of actions:

Telos is a central concept in the philosophy of human actions; actions are only those behaviors which
have a telos – those that are intentional; thus we hesitate to refer to accidental behaviors, such as
tripping, as “actions.”

2. Virtue as a habit

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle maintains that the virtues are formed by repetition as are other
habits. He believed that virtue as a habit requires an intentional choice when you begin. Aristotle

classifies it as an action we learn by doing. Virtue

does not automatically occur within us, as sight and

digestion do, but rather is a state of character we

can develop only by exercising it over time, i.e. by

habitually acting virtuously.

In short, Aristotle's intention is to clarify the ordinary meaning of virtue as habit.

Because virtue is characterized by choice, In Aris totle's words, "we are adapted by nature to receive
[virtues] and are made perfect by habit" (NE lI:1, 1003a). We acquire the virtue of justness by repeatedly
taking just actions, the virtue of temperance by being temperate, and so on. Thus habit and virtue are
necessarily intertwined in Aristotle's account of moral action.
3. Happiness as a virtue

The achievement of happiness, according to Aristotle, is the end goal of every man.

His reasoning is thus: All human activities are done in order to attain something that is good. We don’t
do something because we think it will be bad for us. In addition, most of these activities are not the
main objective, but rather a means to a higher end. We aim at happiness for its own sake, not because
it will achieve something else. Happiness, therefore, is our greatest mission.

According to Aristotle, happiness consists in achieving, through the course of a whole lifetime, all the
goods — health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc. — that lead to the perfection of human nature and to
the enrichment of human life. This requires us to make choices, some of which may be very difficult.

He then stated the claim that happiness is dependent on virtue. He describes virtue as a disposition,
rather than an activity. The individual needs to be naturally a ‘virtuous’ person, rather than just
acting accordingly. Being virtuous is not a passive state: one must act in accordance with virtue. This
exemplary man finds doing virtuous acts pleasurable, which is presumably why he does