Aristotle's Ethics

The Highest Good

The highest good has three characteristics:

1. It is desirable for itself.
2. It is not desirable for the sake of some other good.
3. All other goods are desirable for its sake.

What Is the Highest Good?

The highest good is eudaimonia.

“Eudaimonia” literally means something like “good spirit,” but it is often translated as happiness or flourishing.

How Do We Achieve Eudaimonia?

We achieve eudaimonia by achieving our ergon, usually translated as function.

The ergon of a refrigerator is to keep things cold. A good refrigerator is one that keeps things cold.

Every type of object has its own specific function: the thing it uniquely does.

What Is the Function of a Human?

The unique property of human beings is the ability to reason.

Therefore, a human being’s function is to reason well.

How Do We Reason Well?

We reason well by living according to the virtues over the course of our whole lives.

How Do We Live According to the Virtues?

We live according to the virtues by following the golden mean.

A person with too much courage is foolhardy.

A person with too little courage is cowardly.

A person with the right amount of courage is living in accordance with the virtue of courage.

The Conclusion

To live a good life, you must live in accordance with the virtues by following the rule of the golden mean.

Discussion Questions

1. One conclusion Aristotle draws from his argument is that living well depends on luck. If great tragedy befalls you, it is very difficult to live a good life. The Stoics famously objected to this conclusion. Does flourishing depend on luck?

2. Another conclusion Aristotle draws is that the best life is the contemplative life. In other words, it is better to be a philosopher than a powerful politician. Is this correct?

3. In his argument, Aristotle claims that to be ethical, one must first have developed good habits. This requires being raised correctly. Is it true that to be ethical, one must have been raised correctly?

4. Another famous objection to Aristotle’s ethics is that it does not provide a method for determining whether a particular action is right or wrong. We are mostly left to determine what is correct in any given situation on our own. Another way of thinking about this is that modern ethics focuses on how we should behave toward each other. Aristotle is mostly silent on this front. He focuses on the type of life we should lead. Is this a problem? What is more important: our own flourishing or the way we interact with each other?

5. Aristotle is very open to which virtues you should prioritize. Which virtues do you think are most important? Which virtues do you think society claims are most important?

6. How do you feel about the fact that, according to Aristotle, you cannot be sure you lived a good life until the very end of your life?