BSE ENGLISH 1-1 Page 103

Group 1:
Leader: Gupta, Merry
Blanco Darwin
Caranto, Bryan Krister
Malicdem, Jan Angel
De Guzman, Jezza Marie
Ordonia, Andrea Joy
Cayabyab, Enrique Jr.
Gloria, John Lexter
Cariño, Kimberly
Flores, Erika Mae

Exercise 1. Reading Comprehension Task

Instructions: Compare and contrast each pair of terms related to Aristotle's

Nichomachean Ethics as discussed in the section.

1. Instrumental Good- Ultimate Good (Intrinsic Good)

•An instrumental good is a thing that is good because it facilitates some other
good. We might say, money is an instrumental good because allows us to buy
the things that we need to live Ultimate Good is also called as "Intrinsic Good".
An intrinsic good is a thing that is good for its own sake. Some might say
pleasure is an intrinsic good.

2. Pleasure- Happiness

• Pleasure is found in various forms of activity, and a proper pleasure or pain may
belong to any activity. The pleasure which is found in some forms of activity may
be good, and the pleasure which is found in other forms of activity may be bad.
Pain may similarly be good or bad. According to Aristotle, pleasure is not the aim
of every human action, because not every pleasure is good. Happiness
(eudaimonia) is virtuous activity, which is guided by the intellect and by reason.
Thus, happiness is also a contemplative activity. Happiness is not merely a
means to an end, but is an end in itself. Happiness is a unity of will and action, of
intellect and reason. Happiness is not merely a feeling of pleasure or
contentment, but is a fulfillment of the human soul. Aristotle says that human
beings are happiest when they are guided by reason. Thus, the happiest life is
that of the philosopher. Perfect happiness is achieved by a unity of practical and
theoretical (philosophic) wisdom.

3. Virtue- Vice

• According to Aristotle, a virtue was a mean between two vices, for Smith and
Hume virtue was just the aspect of our emotion/sentiments/feelings that
 compelled us to act positively, to Aquinas it was an attribute bestowed upon us
by God. Although we can, we shouldn’t just understand “virtue” as some floating
metaphysical form. Instead, virtue should be understood as any positive
sentiment that leads to the happiness of us and others (the “good” qualities a
person can possess so to speak). Likewise, “vice” is simply the absence of virtue,
that which does not lead to happiness (that which we generally consider “bad”
qualities).

4. Intellectual Virtue- Moral Virtue

•Aristotle distinguishes between two kinds of virtue: moral virtue and intellectual
virtue. Aristotle says that moral virtues are not innate, but that they are acquired
by developing the habit of exercising them. An individual becomes truthful by
acting truthfully, or becomes unselfish by acting unselfishly. Aristotle notes that it
may be difficult for an individual to become virtuous if he or she has not acquired
the habit of acting virtuously. According to Aristotle, the moral virtues include:
courage, temperance, self-discipline, moderation, modesty, humility, generosity,
friendliness, truthfulness, honesty, justice. The moral vices include: cowardice,
self-indulgence, recklessness, wastefulness, greed, vanity, untruthfulness,
dishonesty, injustice. Acts of virtue bring honor to an individual, acts of vice bring
dishonor to an individual. The intellectual virtues include: scientific knowledge
(episteme), artistic or technical knowledge (techne), intuitive reason (nous),
practical wisdom (phronesis), and philosophic wisdom (Sophia). Scientific
knowledge is knowledge of what is necessary and universal. Artistic or technical
knowledge is knowledge of how to make things, or of how to develop a craft.
Intuitive reason is the process that establishes the first principles of knowledge.
Practical wisdom is the capacity to act in accordance with the good of humanity.
Philosophic wisdom is the combination of intuitive reason and scientific
knowledge.

5. Science and Technology- The good life

•Science and technology further progress and development like in appraising the
goodness of the next medical procedure, the new social media trend, the latest
mobile device, or the upcoming technology for food safety will plays in the pursuit
of the uniquely human experience of happiness. Good life is a state of being
happy, healthy and prosperous in the way one thinks, live, and act. The path of
good life is consists of the two virtues of thoughts and character. The good life is
understood as happiness brought about by living a virtuous life.