The following sentences were used to program Parrotstotle for yesterday's class. Parrotstotle is only a rough draft, and i've already figured out ways to re-write these sentences so it can 'understand' them better . . . and also consider that my first 'translations' are sometimes off the mark and need fixin'. In any case, this is what I got out of Book VI, including a smattering of stuff from other books, plus some Greek background info I gave Parrotstotle for a reference.
Answerpad, the program-brain within Parrotstotle, comes with a basic repartee vocabulary which seeks to fake actual idle conversation, and it also comes with math skills up to and including algebra, as well as some general encyclopedic facts. Answerpad/Parrotstotle is a true attempt at an artificial intelligence program in that it tries to create new sentences. Most AI programs, and that includes all mainstream AIs, seek only to fake an intelligent response -- every word is a canned reply, scripted and unchangeable. There is absolutely no intelligence on that path, and never will be. Answerpad/Parrotstotle learns and tries to increase its knowledge on its own by creating new sentences out of words & phrases within its knowledge-base. That path might lead to intelligence, after all . . . that's how we do it.
The decisions of a practically wise person can be justified by a chain of reasoning
Neither good theoretical reasoning nor good practical reasoning moves in a circle
True thinking always presupposes and progresses in linear fashion from proper starting points
Practical reasoning always presupposes that one has some end, some goal one is trying to achieve, and the task of reasoning is determine how that goal is to be accomplished
Virtue makes the goal right, practical wisdom the things leading to it
In every practical discipline, the expert aims at a mark and uses right reason to avoid the twin extremes of excess and deficiency
It is strange if someone thinks that politics or practical wisdom is the most excellent kind of knowledge, unless man is the best thing in the cosmos
Theoretical wisdom produces happiness by being a part of virtue
Practical Wisdom looks to the development of Theoretical Wisdom, and issues commands for its sake
Exercising theoretical wisdom is a more important component of our ultimate goal than practical wisdom
The happiest kind of life is that of a philosopher
The virtue of magnificence is superior to mere liberality, and similarly greatness of soul is a higher excellence than the ordinary virtue that has to do with honor
Someone who is greatly honored by his community and commands large financial resources is in a position to exercise a higher order of ethical virtue than is someone who receives few honors and has little property
The grandest expression of ethical virtue requires great political power, because it is the political leader who is in a position to do the greatest amount of good for the community
No set of rules or laws, no matter how long and detailed, obviates the need for deliberative and ethical virtue
Good things are commonly divided into three classes, external or worldly Goods, Goods of the body, and Goods of the soul
Goods of the Soul are Goods in the highest and fullest sense
While goods of the body and external goods are needed for complete happiness, they are not capable of giving happiness alone
Living well consists in those lifelong activities that actualize the virtues of the rational part of the soul
It is clear that in order to be happy one must also possess such goods as friends, wealth, and power
Man's happiness is endangered if one is severely lacking in certain advantages
Man's virtuous activity will be to some extent diminished or defective, if one lacks an adequate supply of other goods
Someone who is friendless, childless, powerless, weak, and ugly will not be able to find many opportunities for virtuous activity over a long period of time
Someone who is friendless, childless, powerless, weak, and ugly will accomplish little in life, and what he can accomplish will not be of great merit
To some extent living well requires good fortune
Happenstance can rob even the most excellent human beings of happiness
The highest good is virtuous activity
Virtuous activity is not something that comes to us by chance
Although we must be fortunate enough to have parents and fellow citizens who help us become virtuous, we ourselves share much of the responsibility for acquiring and exercising the virtues
In order to profit from study of ethics, one must already have been brought up in good habits
Particular virtues, like courage and justice, are components of happiness
Aristotle rejects the existence of Plato's forms in general and the form of the Good in particular
Aristotle rejects Plato's idea that in order to become fully virtuous one must see all branches of knowledge as a unified whole
Students of ethics do not need to engage in a specialized study of the natural world, or mathematics, or eternal and changing objects
Ethics an autonomous field of study
There are two kinds of virtue: those that pertain to the part of the soul that engages in reasoning, meaning virtues of mind, and those that pertain to the part of the soul that cannot itself reason but is nonetheless capable of following reason, meaning virtues of character
Intellectual virtues are divided into two sorts: those that pertain to theoretical reasoning, and those that pertain to practical thinking
All free males are born with the potential to become ethically virtuous and practically wise
To become ethically virtuous and practically wise you must go through two stages: during your childhood, you must develop the proper habits, and then, when your reason is fully developed, you must acquire practical wisdom
Ethical virtue is fully developed only when it is combined with practical wisdom
A form of ethical virtue emerges in us during childhood
When we are repeatedly placed in situations that call for appropriate actions and emotions we learn ethical virtue
The virtuous person takes pleasure in exercising his intellectual skills
The virtuous person does not long to do something that he regards as shameful
The virtuous person is not greatly distressed at having to give up a pleasure that he realizes he should forego
When the virtuous person has decided what to do, he does not have to contend with internal pressures to act otherwise
Evil people are driven by desires for domination and luxury
Evil people always desire more than they have, which leaves them dissatisfied and full of self-hatred
Aristotle places those who suffer from internal disorders into one of three categories: continence, incontinence, vicious
Ethical virtue is a disposition induced by our habits to have appropriate feelings
Defective states of character dispose us to have tendencies toward inappropriate feelings
Aristotle rejects Plato's assertion that virtue is nothing but a kind of knowledge
Aristotle rejects Plato's assertion that vice is nothing but a lack of knowledge
Every ethical virtue is a condition intermediate between two other states, one involving excess, and the other deficiency
In respect to the states of deficiency and excess the virtues are no different from technical skills as every skilled worker knows how to avoid excess and deficiency
The Mean is to be determined in a way that takes into account the particular circumstances of the individual
There is no universal rule on where to locate the Mean for any specific person
Finding the mean in any given situation is not a mechanical or thoughtless procedure, but requires a full and detailed acquaintance with the circumstances
The virtuous man should sometimes have strong feelings, but only when such feelings are called for by our situation
Anger should never reach the point at which it undermines Reason
Our passions should always fall short of the extreme point at which we would lose control
Every virtue is a state that lies between two vices, one of excess and the other of deficiency
Whenever a virtuous person chooses to perform a virtuous act, he can be described as aiming at an act that is in some way or other intermediate between alternatives that he rejects
The common passions are sometimes appropriate
It is essential that every human being learn how to master the common passions
It is essential that every human being experience the common passions in the right way at the right times
Emotions are valuable components of any well-lived human life when they are experienced properly
When the good person chooses to act virtuously, he does so for the sake of the beautiful, the noble, or the fine
Ethical activity has an attraction that is comparable to the beauty of well-crafted artifacts
Ethical activity has an attraction that is comparable to poetry, music, and drama
Every craft tries to produce a work from which nothing should be taken away and to which nothing further should be added
A craft product is not merely useful when well designed and produced by a good craftsman, but also has such elements as balance, proportion and harmony
Balance, proportion and harmony are the properties that help make a craft product useful
A well-executed project that expresses the ethical virtues will not merely be advantageous but noble and beautiful as well
The balance a well-executed project has is part of what makes it advantageous
The person learning to acquire the virtues must develop a love of doing what is beautiful and noble
The person learning to acquire the virtues must develop a strong aversion to things not beautiful and not noble
The decisions of a practically wise person are not mere intuitions
Aristotle was born in 384 BCE at Stagirus
Stagirus is a Greek colony and seaport on the coast of Thrace
Aristotle's father is Nichomachus
Nichomachus was court physician to King Amyntas of Macedonia
Aristotle had a long association with the Macedonian Court
Proxenus sent the 17-year old Aristotle to Athens
Proxenus was Aristotle's Guardian when Aristotle was young
Athens is the intellectual center of the world
Aristotle joined the Academy and studied under Plato for twenty years
Aristotle left Athens for the court of his friend Hermeas, ruler of Atarneus and Assos in Mysia
Aristole married Pythias, the niece of the King Hermeas
In later life Aristotle was married a second time to a woman named Herpyllis, who bore him a son, Nichomachus
Hermeas was overtaken by the Persians three years after Aristotle went to live there, and Aristotle then went to Mytilene
At the invitation of Philip of Macedonia Aristotle became the tutor of 13 year old Alexander
Aristotle set up his own school at a place called the Lyceum
When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a habit of walking about as he discoursed
Aristotle's followers became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning, to walk about
Aristotle devoted thirteen years in Lyceum to his teaching and composing his philosophical treatises
Sappho is a poet
Aristotle is a teacher
Socrates is a teacher
Plato is a teacher
Socrates taught Plato
Plato taught Aristotle
Ed is a student
Alexander the Great is from Macedonia in ancient Greece
Alexander the Great has a horse named Bucephalus
Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle
Alexander the Great like eating food from Thessaloniki
The Good is that at which all things aim
We do what we do for a reason
Action equals Choice
Every Action is said to have an aim
Every Action is said to have a goal
Every Action is said to have a completion
Every Choice is said to have an aim
Every Choice is said to have a goal
Every Choice is said to have a completion
All thinking is either theoretical or practical
If we did not think that doing something would bring us some good we would not do the thing
If we did not think that doing something would get us into a better position we would not do the thing
If we did not think that doing something would prevent pain we would not do the thing
If we did not think that doing something would prevent sadness we would not do the thing
If we did not think that doing something would prevent death we would not do the thing
We do things for fun
We do things for survival
We do things to make others feel good, or not
We do things to help others, or not
We do things to get money
We do things to get power
We do things to get fame
We do things to get learning
We do some things for the sake of other things
We seek money in order to buy things we need or like
We like the things we buy either in themselves or for another reason
We seek status in the eyes of others
Eudaimonia is the highest good
Eudaimonia is happiness in living well and doing well
Eudaimonia is human happiness
Eudaimonia is that for the sake of which all other things are done
Eudaimonia is final and self-sufficient
Eudaimonia is pursued for its own sake
Eudaimonia by itself makes life desirable
Eudaimonia by itself makes life not deficient in anything
Eudaimonia is an activity of soul in accordance with virtue or excellence
We share certain functions with all life forms
Nutrition is a function of all life forms
Respiration is a function of all life forms
Growth is a function of all life forms
We share some functions with some life forms
We share the function of movement with some life forms
We share the function of appetites with some life forms
We share the function of sensation with some life forms
Certain functions are unique to humans
Certain functions eiher make humans human, or reflect what makes humans human
Uniquely human functions are those of the rational element
Uniquely human functions are those related to reasoning and choice
The proper function of a human consists in an activity of the Soul in conformity with a Rational Principle
A Rational Principle is a Source of Reasoning
When we speak of the function of something, we mean the way it works when it functions correctly
When we speak of the function of something, we mean the way it works when it functions best
When we speak of the function of something, we mean the way it works when it functions excellently
The function of a human is not merely using reasoning any way we feel like at the moment
The function of a human is using and acting on reasoning well
Goodness of intellect has two supreme forms: Theoretical and Practical Wisdom
Theoretical Wisdom apprehends the eternal laws of the universe, has no direct relation to human conduct
Modern science questions the boundlessness of the universe
Science is the union of Knowledge and Intuition
Knowledge is a conception concerning universals and Necessary matter
There are two parts of the Soul which have Reason
Art admits of degrees of excellence, but Practical Wisdom does not
In Art he who goes wrong purposely is preferable to him who does so unwittingly
Pericles is a Practically Wise man
Those who are skilled in domestic management or civil government are deemed to have Practical Wisdom
The three angles of every rectilineal triangle are equal to two right angles
Practical Wisdom must be a state conjoined with reason having human good for its object
There are, of course, certain First Principles in all trains of demonstrative reasoning
The faculties whereby we always attain truth are Knowledge, Practical Wisdom, Science, and Intuition
The faculties whereby we are never deceived are Knowledge, Practical Wisdom, Science, and Intuition
Science must mean the most accurate of all Knowledge
Science must be equivalent to Intuition and Knowledge
Science is Knowledge of the most precious objects
Men must allow that the Scientific is the same always, but the Practically Wise varies
Practical Wisdom is a faculty of forethought respecting one's own subsistence
Anexagoras and Thales are called Scientific, but not Practically Wise
Anexagoras and Thales are not Practically Wise
Anexagoras and Thales are Scientific
Anexagoras and Thales are ignorant of what concerns themselves
Anexagoras and Thales know things quite out of the ordinary
Anexagoras and Thales know things that are wonderful
Anexagoras and Thales know things that are very fine
Anexagoras and Thales know many useless things because they do not seek after what is good for them as men
Practical Wisdom is employed upon human matters
Practical Wisdom in action are objects of deliberation
Deliberating well is most peculiarly the work of the man who possesses Practical Wisdom
Practical Wisdom does not consist only in a knowledge of general principles
To exercise Practical Wisdom a knowledge of general principles is necessary that one should know the particular details of the situation
Action is concerned with details
Practical Wisdom in the most proper sense has for its object the interest of the Individual
The man who knows and busies himself about his own concerns merely is the man of Practical Wisdom
Men who extend their solicitude to society at large are considered meddlesome
The generality of mankind seek their own good and hold that this is their proper business
The notion has arisen that men that look toward their own self-interest are the Practically-Wise
It is possible that the good of the Individual cannot be secured independently of connection with a family or a community
The way a man should manage his own affairs is sometimes not quite plain
It is not thought that a young man can come to be possessed of Practical Wisdom
Practical Wisdom has for its object particular facts, which come to be known from experience
Young men usually do not have much experience
Young men usually do not have much Practical Wisdom
Practical Wisdom accumulates over time
Practical Wisdom is not Knowledge
Practical Wisdom and Intuition are opposed
Practical Wisdom is concerned with the ultimate particular fact
The ultimate particular fact cannot be realised by Knowledge
The ultimate particular fact can be realised by Sense
No rectilineal figure can be contained by less than three lines
A triangle is the ultimate geometric figure
Intuition consists of those principles which cannot be proved by reasoning
Intuition is Sense
Practical Wisdom is concerned with the ultimate particular fact which cannot be realised by Knowledge but by Sense
The acts of inquiring and deliberating are different
Deliberating is a kind of inquiring
Good Counsel is not Knowledge
Good Counsel is a kind of deliberation
The man who is deliberating is inquiring and calculating
Good Counsel is not Happy Conjecture
Good Counsel is not Opinion of any kind
It is a common saying that one should execute speedily what has been resolved upon in deliberation, but deliberate slowly
Happy Conjecture is independent of reasoning, and a rapid operation
Quick perception of causes is not Good Counsel
Quick perception of causes is a species of Happy Conjecture
He who deliberates ill goes wrong
He who deliberates well does so rightly
It is clear that Good Counsel is rightness of some kind
Good Counsel is not Knowledge or Opinion
Knowledge cannot be called right because it cannot be wrong
Rightness of Opinion is Truth
Good Counsel is not independent of Reason
Opinion is not a process of inquiry but is already a definite assertion
Whosoever deliberates, whether well or ill, is engaged in inquiry and calculation
Good Counsel is a Rightness of deliberation
Rightness is an equivocal term
It is possible to deliberate rightly in one sense, but attain a great evil
What we consider a virtuous Rightness we plainly do not mean Rightness of any kind whatever
To have deliberated well is thought to be good
Good Counsel is Rightness of deliberation of such a nature as is apt to attain good
You may get success by false reasoning, and hit upon the right effect though not through right means
When you get what you ought but not through proper means it is done by Bad Counsel
One man may hit on a thing after long deliberation, another quickly
Good Counsel must have its Rightness be with reference to what is expedient and must have a proper end in view
Good Counsel must pursue Rightness in a right manner and in a right time
One may deliberate well either generally or towards some particular End
Good counsel in the general is that which goes right towards that which is the End, in a general way of consideration
Good counsel in the particular is that which goes right towards some particular End
Deliberating well is a quality of men possessed of Practical Wisdom
Good Counsel must be Rightness in respect of what conduces to a given End, of which Practical Wisdom is the true conception
Judiciousness is neither entirely identical with Knowledge or Opinion, nor is it any one specific science
The object of medical science is things wholesome
The object of geometry is magnitude
The objects of geometry do not come into being by chance
Geometry has things of which a man might doubt and deliberate
The objects of Judiciousness do not always exist
The objects of Judiciousness are not always immutable
The objects of Judiciousness do not come into being by pure chance
The objects of Judiciousness and Practical Wisdom are the same but different
Practical Wisdom is different from geometry because it has the capacity for commanding and taking the initiative
Practical Wisdom has as its End what one should do or not do
Judiciousness is apt to decide upon suggestions
Judiciousness is neither having Practical Wisdom, nor attaining it
Judiciousness consists in employing the Opinionative faculty in judging concerning those things which come within the province of Practical Wisdom
Judiciousness is judging well
Judiciousness and Learning are synonymous
The equitable man has a tendency to make allowances
Making allowances in certain cases is equitable
All matters of Moral Action belong to the class of particulars, otherwise called Extremes
Judiciousness is concerned with matters of Moral Actions
Judiciousness is concerned with Extremes
Intuition takes in the Extremes at both ends
The first and last terms must be taken in not by Reasoning but by Intuition
Intuition is of two kinds, first and last
That which belongs to strict demonstrative reasonings takes in the immutable and Necessary first terms
That which is employed in practical matters takes in the Extreme, the Contingent, and the minor Premiss
The minor Premisses are the source of the Final Cause
Universals are made up out of Particulars
Sense is Practical Intuition
No man is thought to be Scientific by nature
Intuition is thought to be simply a gift of nature
Judiciousness is thought to be simply a gift of nature
Intuition is both the Beginning and End
Intuition is both the Beginning and End, because the proofs are based upon the one kind of Extremes and concern the other
The old and the Practically Wise see aright, having gained their power of moral vision from experience
One should pay attention to the undemonstrable dicta and opinions of the skilful
The nature and objects of Practical Wisdom and Science belong each to a different part of the Soul
Science concerns itself with none of the causes of human happiness
Science has nothing to do with producing anything
Practical Wisdom is concerned with with producing things
Practical Wisdom is concerned with the causes of human happiness
Moral Virtues are Habits
Practical Wisdom has in its province those things which are just and honourable, and good for man
We are not more apt to be healthy merely from knowing the art of medicine
We are not more apt to be in good condition merely from knowing the art of training
Knowing what is Good does not by itself make a Practically Wise man
Becoming Good is what makes a Practically Wise man
The Wisdom of a Good will be no use to those that are good
The Wisdom of a Good will be no use to those that are not good
Though we wish to be healthy we do not set about learning the art of healing
Whatever produces results rules in each matter
Whatever produces results takes directs the action in each matter
Healthiness makes health
Science makes Happiness
Man's work as Man is accomplished by virtue of Practical Wisdom and Moral Virtue
Moral Virtue gives the right aim and direction
Practical Wisdom is the right means to attainment
The nutritive principle of the Soul has no Excellence because nothing is in its power to do or leave undone
Men may do things in themselves just and yet not be just men
When men do what the laws require of them not, but for the sake of the things themselves, they are not acting justly
Men can do what they ought and all that the good man should do, yet still live unjustly
It seems that to be a good man one must do each act in a particular frame of mind
It seems that to be a good man one must do each act from Moral Choice
It seems that to be a good man one must do each act for the sake of the things themselves
It is Virtue which makes the Moral Choice right
There is a certain faculty commonly named Cleverness
Cleverness is of such a nature as to be able to do and attain whatever conduces to any given purpose
If the purpose of Cleverness be a good one the faculty is praiseworthy
If the purpose of Cleverness be a bad one the faculty implies the willingness to do anything
The Practically Wise are Clever in a good sense
Those who can and will do anything are Clever in a bad sense
Practical Wisdom is not identical with Cleverness
Practical Wisdom is the Eye of the Soul
Practical Wisdom does not attain its proper state without goodness
Vice distorts Moral Vision
Vice causes men to be deceived in respect of practical principles
A man cannot be Practically Wise without being Good
Virtue may be divided into Natural Virtue and Matured Virtue
Natural Virtue and Matured Virtue bear to each other a relation similar to that which Practical Wisdom bears to Cleverness
Natural Virtue and Matured Virtue bear to each other a relation not of identity but resemblance
Men hold that each of the Moral Dispositions attach to us all somehow by Nature
We have natural dispositions towards Justice immediately from our birth
We have natural dispositions towards Self-Mastery immediately from our birth
We have natural dispositions towards Courage immediately from our birth
We seek Goodness in its highest sense as something distinct from Jusatice, Self-Mastery and Courage
We seek Goodness in its highest sense as something distinct from Jusatice
We seek Goodness in its highest sense as something distinct from Self-Mastery
We seek Goodness in its highest sense as something distinct from Courage
Justice is plainly hurtful unless combined with an intellectual element
Self-Mastery is plainly hurtful unless combined with an intellectual element
Courage is plainly hurtful unless combined with an intellectual element
A strong body destitute of sight must, if set in motion, fall violently because it has no sight
The Natural State of Virtue will be Virtue in the highest sense when it is combined with the intellectual element
The Natural State of Virtue not combined with the intellectual element is like a strong body without sight
The Natural State of Virtue not combined with the intellectual element can be hurtful
The Natural State of Virtue not combined with the intellectual element can be Vice
The Natural State of Virtue not combined with the intellectual element is not the Mean
Matured Virtue cannot be formed without Practical Wisdom
Some say that all the Virtues are merely intellectual Practical Wisdom
Socrates was partly right in his inquiry into the Virtues, and partly wrong
Socrates was wrong in that he thought all the Virtues were merely intellectual Practical Wisdom
Socrates was right in saying the Virtues were not independent of Practical Wisdom
Save memorySave memory.
Ethics, as viewed by Aristotle, is an attempt to find out our chief end or highest good.
Ethics is an attempt to find out our chief end or highest good.
The human soul has an irrational element which is shared with the animals.
The most primitive irrational element is the vegetative faculty which is responsible for nutrition and growth.
Most moral virtues, and not just courage, are to be understood as falling at the mean between two accompanying vices.
Most Moral Virtues are to be understood as falling at the Mean between two accompanying vices.
The prominent virtue is high-mindedness.
Justice is used both in a general and in a special sense.
Distributive justice hands out honors and rewards according to the merits of the recipients.
The idea of morality is given by the faculty of moral insight.
Moral weakness of the will results in someone does what is wrong.
Pleasure is not to be identified with Good.
We wouldn't do things for fun if we did not think that fun was in some way a good thing
We wouldn't do things for survival if we did not think that survival was in some way a good thing
When we talk about human happiness perhaps we need to look at the function of a human
When we talk about human happiness perhaps we need to look at the specific activities and capacities that make humans human
The functions of a human Aristotle has in mind are the things we use to get what we want and need, and the activities we do in order to live as humans
It is precisely through our specifically human functioning that choice is possible as we know it
The question of happiness can only arise through the function of uniquely human attributes
The proper function of a human to live a certain kind of life, and this kind of life is an activity of soul and consists in actions performed in conjunction with the Rational Element
A function is well performed when it is performed in accordance with the excellence appropriate to it
The good of a human is an activity of soul in conformity with excellence or virtue
It is through reasoning, conscious choice, understanding and evaluating the consequences of our actions, and learning how to put our choices into action effectively that we will be able to do as much as we can to achieve our goals
Happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with virtue or excellence
If our reasoning is poorly developed or poorly used, we won't be able to deduce how to achieve the results we desire
If our reasoning is poorly developed or poorly used, we may make disastrous choices that were avoidable
If our reasoning is poorly developed or poorly used, things will almost never turn out as we think they will
People distinguish 2 kinds of virtue or excellence: intellectual virtues and moral or ethical virtues
Intellectual virtues are those such as Theoretical Wisdom, Understanding, and Practical Wisdom
Moral or ethical virtues are those such as Courage, Generosity, Self-Control, Moderation, and Justice
Virtue is excellence
Virtues seem to be developed by means of habit
Virtues are not inborn
The capacity to develop virtues is inborn in all of us
All habits do not impart virtue
There are habits that work against virtue
If we develop the habit of never trying anything new or unknown, we will not learn certain kinds of courage
If we develop the habit of paying no attention to money or to other people's needs, we are unlikely to become generous
Theoretical wisdom is wisdom involving knowledge of theories, among other things, as described in the Metaphysics
Aristotle suggests that we become virtuous by performing virtuous acts, or by acting virtuous
Aristotle does not mean that merely happening to perform any virtuous action makes you virtuous
Some awareness and skill are involved in habituating virtue
A man is not literate if he can copy letters that someone else wrote, while not knowing how to read the letters into words and sentences
A man is not virtuous if he did something virtuous without knowing that it was virtuous
A man is not virtuous if he did something virtuous because he was told to do it
A man is not virtuous if he did something virtuous because he was forced to do it
Being morally virtuous or excellent requires more than simply doing the right thing
Doing the right thing in a certain way, for certain reasons, is necesary in order to have true excellence or virtue
You must know what you are doing in order to perform an act of virtue
You must choose to act the way you do in order to perform an act of virtue
You must choose to act this way or to do this thing for its own sake in order to perform an act of virtue
An act of virtue must spring from a firm and unchangeable character or habit
You are not being courageous if you are acting only to impress people
You are not being courageous if you would not do the same thing if no one was watching
You have not acted with moral excellence if you acted on a whim
You have not acted with moral excellence if you simply did what your friends were doing without considering whether this was an appropriate thing to do, and why
You must try to be consistent in order to be virtuous, and if that turns out badly, you must try to understand why
Virtue develops as a result of three factors: nature, habit and reason
Virtue of character is not just knowledge, but involves choice of what is noble
Virtue involves both the rational and irrational parts of the soul
A human first of all strives to exist
Humans are pleased by things that accord with their nature
Humans shun those things that are contrary to their nature
Humans strive for health, pleasure and other natural advantages
The beginnings of Right Action come from concern to obtain the things that are pleasing to human nature, and hence so do the beginnings of virtue
Virtue is correct and systematic understanding resulting in correct choice of natural advantages
We find the Goods of the body choiceworthy for their own sake
Goods of the body are those such as health, strength and beauty
We find the Goods of the Soul choiceworthy for their own sake, without an eye to advantage
Virtue turns towards itself and contemplates that it itself is much more something according with Nature than the bodily virtues
Virtue turns towards itself in the sense that it involves not just consistently Right Action but also an understanding of the proper value of virtue
The virtuous person must value his own virtuous state more than the results it produces
Appreciating the value of virtue is the culminating point of rational development
Virtue, which is a Good of the Soul, is more valuable than bodily goods
Virtue and the exercise of rationality are not the only aims of a virtuous persons
The virtuous person will regard both bodily virtues and external Goods as choiceworthy for their own sake
Virtue is greatly superior to bodily Goods and external Goods
Eudaimonia is not a combination of bodily and external Goods, but rather an active life of virtue which in some way uses or acts on these goods
Eudaimonia is not just Good things, but a life of actions
Bodily and external Goods do not make for happiness on their own, but only as put to service by virtue
Despite the superiority of virtue the bodily and external Goods are genuine Goods, choiceworthy for their own sake and required for happiness
Development of concern for oneself results in concern for oneself as a rational being
Concern for oneself as a rational being includes and transforms, rather than replaces, concern for one's friends and other external Goods
The virtuous person is motivated to sacrifice his money, honors, or even chances of virtuous action, to others
The virtuous person is motivated only to act virtuously, and this is just because he is someone who identifies himself with his practical reasoning and its virtuous conclusions
Virtuous and altruistic actions are expressions of virtuous self-love
The greedy, competitive person shows that he conceives of himself as ambitious and ruthless
The just person shows that his conception of himself is as a rational and virtuous person
All action is formally a case of self-love or self-seeking
The crucial difference between selfish and virtuous action lies in the conception of the self that a person has
Being a citizen is essential to the ethical life
The seeker of virtue must choose the intermediate condition, not the excess or deficiency
Correct Reason will determine the intermediate condition
In all states of character there is a target the reasonable person focuses on to define the Mean
Though it is true that to attain virtue we must hold fast to the Mean, it is equally true that we must labor or be idle in the endeavour neither too much nor too little
The person desiring virtue must determine the definition of Correct Reason
There are two parts to the Soul: the Rational and the Nonrational
There are two virtues of the Soul: that of Character and of Thought
The reasonable part of the Soul is further divided into two parts: the Scientific and the Rationally Calculating parts
As Assertion and Denial are to Thought, so are Pursuit and Avoidance to Desire
Deliberation is the same as Rationally Calculating
Nobody deliberates about what cannot be otherwise
The Rationally Calculating part of the Soul is the one with Reason
The Scientific part of the Soul is used to study beings whose principles admit themselves as they are
The Rationally Calculating part of the Soul is used to study beings whose principles do not always admit themselves as they are
The seeker of virtue should find the best state of the Scientific and Rationally Calculating parts to find the virtue in the Rational part of the Soul
There are three capacities in the Soul: Sense Perception, Understanding and Desire
Sense Perception is clearly not the principle of any Action
Beasts have Sense Perception but no share in Action
The principle of an Action is Desire
The principle of an Action is the Source of Motion
The principle of Decision is Desire and Goal-Oriented Reason
Decision requires Understanding, Thought and a state of Character
Acting Well requires both Thought and Character
Acting Badly requires both Thought and Character
Thought by itself moves nothing
Goal-Directed Thought concerned with Action moves us
The principle of Productive Thought is Goal-Directed Thought concerned with Action
Every Producer in his Production aims at some further Goal
The Unqualified Goal is not the Product
The Qualified Goal of a Production that aims at a further Goal is the Product
An Unqualified Goal is what we achieve in Action
Acting Well is the Goal
Desire is for the Goal
Decision is either Understanding combined with Desire, or Desire combined with Thought
The principle of a Human Being is of the same sort as Decision
We do not Deliberate about what is past
We Deliberate about what will Be
Agathon said, Of this alone even a god is deprived: to make what is all done to have never happened
The five states in which the Soul grasps at the Truth are Craft, Scientific Knowledge, Prudence, Wisdom and Understanding
Euripides said, To mortals, what a dreadful scourge is love!
Euripides said, We women are the most unhappy race.
Euripides said, I know, indeed, the evil of that I purpose, but my inclination gets the better of my judgment.
Euripides said, Misery is changing sides.
Alcestis said, Many are the shapes that fortune takes, and oft the gods bring things beyond our expectation. That which we deemed so sure is not fulfilled, while for that we never thought would be, the gods find out a way.
Homer said, Man proposes, Zeus disposes.
Homer said, But bygones must be bygones!
Homer said, Whenever Heaven pleases! Death shall lay me low, too. Yet before he strikes, I am resolved upon great deeds.
Homer said, Mock not at death
Homer said, Better to be the hireling of a stranger, and serve a man of mean estate whose living is but small, than be the ruler of all these dead and gone.
Homer said, Ah how shameless – the way these mortals blame the gods.
Homer said, Even a fool learns wisdom after the event.
Homer said, Better to mourn six men than lose them all, and the ship, too.
Homer said, In every venture, the bold man comes off best.
Ovid said, The glory of having fought the good fight is greater than the disgrace of having been beaten.
Pindar said, Performance proves the man.
Pindar said, The light of glorious deeds shines, imperishable forever.
Pindar said, Action is the way of strength, stratagem the way of council.
Pindar said, A deed done without danger lacks glory . . . but men remember if someone dares and wins.
Pindar said, Always, in the contest for excellence, expense and labor struggle to achieve an exploit whose end lies veiled in danger.
Pindar said, Few have won joy without effort.
Pindar said, Too sharp is the madness of unattainable desires.
Pindar said, Creatures of a day! What is someone? What is no one? Man: a shadow’s dream.
Sophocles said, If my present deeds are foolish in thy sight, it may be that a foolish judge arraigns my folly.
Sophocles said, Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness.
Sophocles said, The world is built out of our beliefs, and when we lose those beliefs out of doubt, our world is destroyed, and the present and the past vanish into night.
Aeschylus said, For seeing they saw not, and hearing they understood not, but like shapes in a dream they wrought all the days of their lives in confusion.
Aeschylus said, Of all vile things in the world the worst is a traitor.
Epicurus said, Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.
Epicurus said, You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.
Antisthenes said, There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly.
Pericles said, What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
Alexander the Great said, How great are the dangers I face to win a good name in Athens.
Alexander the Great said, I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion.
Alexander the Great said, Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.
Alexander the Great said, There is nothing impossible to him who will try.
Alexander the Great said, Were I not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.
Diogenes said, Blushing is the color of virtue
Diogenes said, Discourse on virtue and they pass by in droves. Whistle and dance the shimmy, and you've got an audience.
Diogenes said, Dogs and philosophers do the greatest good and get the fewest rewards
Diogenes said, I do not know whether there are gods, but there ought to be
Diogenes said, The sun, too, shines into cesspools and is not polluted
Plato said, Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
We make war that we might live in peace
The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law
Socrates said, I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance
Socrates said, Bad men live that they can eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live
Plato said, Ignorance is the root and the stem of every evil
Plato said, You can easily forgive a child that is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light
Xenophanes said, Men make gods in their own image, those of the Ethiopians are black and snub-nosed, those of the Thracians have blue eyes and red hair
A friend to all is a friend to none
A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one
Bring your desires down to your present means.
All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion and desire
Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others
Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them
The best choice for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve
Friendship is essentially a partnership
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god
Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully
Hope is the dream of a waking man
Aristotle counts him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self
If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature's way
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it
Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way
Men create gods after their own image, not only with regard to their form but with regard to their mode of life
Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit
We become just by doing just acts
We become temperate by doing temperate acts
We become brave by doing brave acts
Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth
A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility
Quality is not an act, it is a habit
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance
The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain
The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake
The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead
The end of labor is to gain leisure
The energy of the mind is the essence of life
The gods too are fond of a joke
The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons
The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances
Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime
The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold
The moral virtues are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature
The more one dares, the more he shall obtain
The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival
The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom
The whole is more than the sum of its parts
The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently, but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life - knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live
Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so
To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice
There is no great genius without a mixture of madness
What is known scientifically is by necessity
Everlasting things are ingenerable and indestructable
Every science seems to be teachable
What is scientifically knowable is learnable
All teaching is from what is already known
Some teaching is by induction, some by deduction
Induction leads to the principle, the universal
Deduction proceeds from the principle, the universal
Scientific knowledge is a demonstrable state
One has scientific knowledge whenever one has the appropriate sort of confidence
What admits of being otherwise includes what is produced and what is achieved in action
Production and Action are different
The state involving reason and concerned with action is different from the state involving reason and concerned with production
Action is not Production, and Production is not Action
Craft is a certain state involving Reason concerned with Production
Craft is the same as a state involving True Reason concerned with Production
Every Craft is concerned with coming to Be
Exercise of Craft is the study of how something that admits of Being and Not Being comes to Be
The principle of Craft is in the Producer not in the Product
Craft is not concerned with things that Are or come to Be by necessity
Craft is not concerned with things that Are by nature
Craft is concerned with Production, not with Action
In a way, Craft and Fortune are concerned with the same things
Agathon said, Craft was fond of Fortune, and Fortune of Craft
Lack of Craft is a state involving False Reason and concerned with Production
Craft and Lack of Craft both are concerned with what admits of being otherwise
To grasp what Prudence is, we should first study the sort of people we call prudent
We are what we repeatedly do
We must no more ask whether the soul and body are one than ask whether the wax and the figure impressed on it are one
We praise a man who feels angry on the right grounds and against the right persons and also in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time
What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions
Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit
A flatterer is a friend who is your inferior, or pretends to be so
A friend is a second self
All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind
All virtue is summed up in dealing justly
It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered
Zeno thought people should try to reach inner peacefulness
Stoicism was founded by a man named Zeno, who lived from 335-263 BCE
Zeno was friendly with the successors of Alexander who ruled Greece
Zeno said, The best way to be peaceful was to be moderate in everything
Zeno used to lecture not in a classroom but outside, on the porch of a public building. The word for porch in Greek is STOA, and so people called his students Stoics, people who hang out on the porch.
Gaea is the Earth goddess
Uranus is the sky god and first ruler
Cronus is the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus
Rhea is the wife of Cronus
Oceanus is the unending stream of water encircling the world
Tethys is the wife of Oceanus
Hyperion is the Titan of Light
Mnemosyne is the Titan of Memory and the mother of Muses
Themis is the Titan of Justice and Order
Iapetus is the father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Atlas by Clymene
Coeus is the Titan of Intelligence
Phoebe is the Titan of the Moon
Prometheus is the wisest Titan
Epimetheus is a stupid Titan
Atlas fought with the other Titans supporting Cronus against Zeus
Metis is the Titaness of the fourth day and the planet Mercury.
Metis presides over all wisdom and knowledge.
Dione is the mother of Aphrodite
Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus.
Zeus drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods.
Zeus is lord of the sky, the rain god.
Poseidon is a brother of Zeus.
Poseidon is lord of the sea
Hades is a brother of Zeus.
Hades is lord of the underworld
Hestia is Zeus sister.
Hestia is a virgin goddess
Hera is Zeus wife and sister
Hera was raised by the Titans Ocean and Tethys.
Hera is the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women.
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Ares was disliked by both parents.
Ares is the god of war
Athena is the daughter of Zeus.
Athena is fierce and brave in battle but only fights to protect the state and home from outside enemies.
Athena is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto.
Apollo is the god of music, playing a golden lyre.
Apollo is The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow.
Apollo is the god of healing who taught man medicine.
Apollo is the god of light.
Apollo is the god of truth, who can not speak a lie.
Apollo's twin sister is Artemis
Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty
Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus messenger
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto.
Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo.
Artemis is the lady of the wild things
Hephaestus is a son of Zeus and Hera.
Hephaestus is the god of fire and the forge
Asclepius is a god of healing. His parents were Apollo and Coronis
Demeter is the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea
Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
After her abduction by Hades, Persephone became his wife and Queen of the underworld.
Dionysus is the god of the vine.
Dionysus invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes.
Dionysus has a dual nature. On the one hand bringing joy and divine ecstasy. On the other brutal, unthinking, rage
Eros is the son of Aphrodite.
Eros is the god of erotic, romantic, love
Hebe is a daughter of Zeus and Hera.
Hebe is the goddess of youth and the wife of Heracles
Eris is a daughter of Zeus and Hera.
Eris is the goddess of discord
Thanatos was the personification of death
Pan is the son of Hermes.
Pan is the god of goatherds and shepherds
Nemesis is the god of righteous anger, due enactment, or divine vengeance.
Nemesis helped to avenge those who were wronged
There are three Graces: Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, otherwise known as Splendor, Mirth, and Good Cheer.
The Graces are known for singing and dancing for the gods
There are nine Muses, each with her own specialty: Clio - History, Urania - Astronomy, Melpomene - Tragedy, Thalia - Comedy, Terpsichore - Dance, Calliope - Epic Poetry, Erato - Love Poetry, Polyhymnia - Songs to the Gods, Euterpe - Lyric Poetry
There are three Erinye - Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto.
The Erinyes came from the blood of Uranus when he was castrated.
The Erinyes pursue wrong doers relentlessly, until death, often driving them to suicide.
The Erinye are particularly concerned with matricide.
The Erinyes are also known as the Furies
There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who can not be turn, who at death with her shears cuts the thread of life.
Argus Panoptes is the all seeing. A man with many eyes
Echidna is a female monster consisting of half nymph, half speckled snake
Parrotstotle was created on a friday in April, 2007.
Parrotstotle was created on friday, the thirteenth day of April, in 2007
Parrotstotle was created on Friday the Thirteenth.
Aristotle said, I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law
Liars when they speak the truth are not believed
What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies
Aristotle counts him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies
All men by nature desire knowledge
For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them
It is possible to fail in many ways . . . while to succeed is possible only in one way
One swallow does not make Spring
Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends
To be conscious that we are perceiving or thinking is to be conscious of our own existence
To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character
We must as second best . . . take the least of the evils
With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it
Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods
In the arena of human life the honours and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities
In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous
Time crumbles things, everything grows old under the power of Time and is forgotten through the lapse of Time
Political society exists for the sake of noble actions, and not of mere companionship
Again, men in general desire the good, and not merely what their fathers had
Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered
It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it
Law is order, and good law is good order
Man is by nature a political animal
Nature does nothing uselessly
They should rule who are able to rule best
Evil draws men together
No one finds fault with defects which are the result of Nature
A good style must have an air of novelty, at the same time concealing its art
Numbers are intellectual witnesses that belong only to mankind
Wicked men obey from fear, good men, from love
Some men are just as sure of the truth of their opinions as are others of what they know
Philosophy is the science which considers truth
Man is by nature a civic animal
Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers
Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities
Custom is second nature
Repentant tears wash out the stain of guilt
Be not arrogant when Fortune smiles, or dejected when she frowns
If you are dreaded by many then beware of many
It often happens, that misery will follow a marriage when the dowry is too large
Let the blacksmith wear the chains he has himself made
No man will revel long in the indulgence of crime
One day unfolds it and one day destroys
Knowledge is power
The mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands
To Thales the primary question was not what do we know, but how do we know it?
Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope
Bad men are full of repentance
Revolutions are not about trifles, but spring from trifles
The ideal man is his own best friend and takes delight in privacy
Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind
The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness, and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival
Great men are always of a nature originally melancholy
Aristotle counts him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self
Happiness is the utilization of one's talents along lines of excellence
Wit is educated insolence
Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor, for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit
It was through the feeling of wonder that men now and at first began to philosophize
Most people would rather give than get affection
For what is the best choice, for each individual is the highest it is possible for him to achieve
Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy
The coward calls the brave man rash, the rash man calls him a coward
The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently, but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life -- knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet
Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well
All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth
Equality consists in the same treatment of similar persons
Excellence then is not an act but a habit
There are some who, because the point is the limit and extreme of the line, the line of the plane, and the plane of the solid, think there must be real things of this sort
Man is a goal seeking animal
Man's life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals
It is easy to perform a good action, but not easy to acquire a settled habit of performing such actions
It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom
To live happily is an inward power of the Soul
Of mankind in general, the parts are greater than the whole
If at first the idea is absurd, then there is no hope for it
No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness
Justice is that virtue of the soul which is distributive according to desert
The price of justice is eternal publicity
What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing
We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace
There is a cropping-time in the races of men, as in the fruits of the field, and sometimes, if the stock be good, there springs up for a time a succession of splendid men, and then comes a period of barrenness
The mathematical sciences particularly exhibit order, symmetry, and limitation, and these are the greatest forms of the beautiful
The greatest thing in style is to have a command of metaphor
And of course, the brain is not responsible for any of the sensations at all. The correct view is that the seat and source of sensation is the region of the heart
It is better to rise from life as from a banquet -- neither thirsty nor drunken
The Moral Virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature
Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for the reception of Moral Virtue, but their complete formation is the product of habit
Men regard it as their right to return evil for evil -- and if they cannot, feel they have lost their liberty
It makes no difference whether a good man has defrauded a bad man, or a bad man defrauded a good man, or whether a good or bad man has committed adultery: the law can look only to the amount of damage done
The good of man must be the end of the science of politics
Education is the best provision for the journey to old age
It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work
Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime
To perceive is to suffer
It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen
Poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history: for poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular
The gods too are fond of a joke
To give a satisfactory decision as to the truth it is necessary to be rather an arbitrator than a party to the dispute
Young people are in a condition like permanent intoxication, because youth is sweet and they are growing
Misfortune shows those who are not really friends
Man perfected by society is the best of all animals, he is the most terrible of all when he lives without law, and without justice
Happiness depends upon ourselves
Law is mind without reason
To be conscious that we are perceiving or thinking is to be conscious of our own existence
A state is not a mere society
As for the story, whether the poet takes it ready made or constructs it for himself, he should first sketch its general outline, and then fill in the episodes and amplify in detail
If you string together a set of speeches expressive of character, and well finished in point and diction and thought, you will not produce the essential tragic effect nearly so well as with a play which, however deficient in these respects, yet has a plot and artistically constructed incidents
Dramatic action, therefore, is not with a view to the representation of character: character comes in as subsidiary to the actions
Where perception is, there also are pain and pleasure, and where these are, there, of necessity, is desire
Neglect of an effective birth control policy is a never-failing source of poverty which, in turn, is the parent of revolution and crime
Generally, about all perception, we can say that a sense is what has the power of receiving into itself the sensible forms of things without the matter, in the way in which a piece of wax takes on the impress of a signet ring without the iron or gold
Beauty is the gift from the gods
Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach
It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences
The least deviation from truth will be multiplied later
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet
No tyrant need to fear till men begin to feel confident in each other
A whole is that which has a beginning, a middle, and an end
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance
Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms
The most important things about which all men deliberate and deliberative orators harangue, are five in number, to wit: ways and means, war and peace, the defence of the country, imports and exports, legislation
Aristotle conceives of ethical theory as a field distinct from the theoretical sciences
The methodology of ethical theory must match its subject matter — good action — and must respect the fact that in this field many generalizations hold only for the most part
We study ethics in order to improve our lives
The principal concern of ethics is the nature of human well-being
Aristotle follows Socrates and Plato in taking the virtues to be central to a well-lived life
Like Plato, Aristotle regards the ethical virtues as complex rational, emotional and social skills
Aristotle rejects Plato's idea that a training in the sciences and metaphysics are a necessary prerequisite for a full understanding of our good
What we need, in order to live well, is a proper appreciation of the way in which such goods as friendship, pleasure, virtue, honor and wealth fit together as a whole
In order to apply that general understanding to particular cases, we must acquire, through proper upbringing and habits, the ability to see, on each occasion, which course of action is best supported by reasons
Practical wisdom cannot be acquired solely by learning general rules
We also must also acquire, through practice, those deliberative, emotional, and social skills that enable us to put our general understanding of well-being into practice in ways that are suitable to each occasion
Aristotle wrote two ethical treatises: the Nicomachean Ethics and the Eudemian Ethics
The Nicomachean Ethics gives a series of arguments for the superiority of the philosophical life to the political life
The Nicomachean Ethics examines Solon's dictum that no man should be counted happy until he is dead
The Nicomachean Ethics discusses the close relationship between ethical inquiry and politics
There are differences of opinion about what is best for human beings, and that to profit from ethical inquiry we must resolve this disagreement
We are asking what the good for human beings is not simply because we want to have knowledge, but because we will be better able to achieve our good if we develop a fuller understanding of what it is to flourish
The difficult and controversial question arises when we ask whether some Goods are more desirable than others
Aristotle's search for the good is a search for the highest good
The highest good, whatever it turns out to be, has three characteristics: it is desirable for itself, it is not desirable for the sake of some other good, and all other goods are desirable for its sake
Aristotle thinks everyone will agree that the terms eudaimonia, meaning happiness, and "eu zen", meaning living well, designate the highest good
The Greek term eudaimon is composed of two parts: eu means well, and daimon means divinity or spirit
To be eudaimon is to be living in a way that is well-favored by a god
Aristotle never calls attention to the etymology of eudaimon, and it seems to have little influence on his thinking
Aristotle regards eudaimon as a substitute for eu zen
The terms eudaimon and eu zen play an evaluative role, and are not simply descriptions of someone's state of mind
No one tries to live well for the sake of some further goal
Being eudaimon is the highest end for humans
All goals are subordinate to eudaimon
Health, wealth, and other such resources are sought because they promote well-being, not because they are what well-being consists in
Unless we can determine which good or goods happiness consists in, it is of little use to acknowledge that happiness and living well is the highest end
Aristotle argues that the function, task, and work of a human being consists in activity of the rational part of the soul in accordance with virtue
The Nutritive Soul is responsible for growth and reproduction
The Locomotive Soul is responsible for motion
The Perceptive Soul is responsible for perception
Aristotle argues that human beings are the only species that has the lower capacities of Soul as well as a Rational Soul
The good of a human being must have something to do with being human
The good of a human being must have something to do with what sets humanity off from other species
The good of a human being must have something to do with giving us the potential to live a better life
The good of a human being must have something to do with our capacity to guide ourselves by using reason
Using reason well over the course of a full life is what happiness consists in
Doing anything well requires virtue or excellence
Happiness is not virtue, happiness is virtuous activity
Living well consists in doing something, not just being in a certain state or condition
Aristotle argues that the function, task, and work of a human being consists in activity of the rational part of the soul in accordance with virtue
Hippocrates said, For where there is love of man, there is also love of art
Pindar said, Success for the striver washes away the effort of striving
Sophocles said, If you are out of trouble, watch for danger
Sophocles said, There is no success without hardship
It is commonly said, As long as you have the blessing of your parents it does not matter even if you live in the mountains
It is commonly said, He who is not satisfied with a little is not satisfied with a lot
It is commonly said, A person can be as sweet as honey or as heavy as steel
It is commonly said, If you do not have brains you have legs
It is commonly said, If you do not have brains you follow the same route twice
It is commonly said, If you are truthful you will have as much gold as you want
It is commonly said, The liar and the thief rejoice in their first year only
It is commonly said, Help yourself so the gods can help you
It is commonly said, The rabbits' eye differs from that of the owl
It is commonly said, Passing from mouth to mouth it was learned by a thousand, and by the time it came to be heard by the king he learned of how a cow laid an egg
It is commonly said, The rich man with his riches and the poor man with his children
It is commonly said, Many words are poverty
It is commonly said, Upon touching sand may it turn to gold
Andromeda is the princess of Ethiopia, daughter to Cepheus and Cassiopeia
Echo is a beautiful Nymph who lived in the forest
The first woman to be created in ancient Greek myth is known as Pandora
Pandora is said to have been created by Hephaestus
Pandora's name meant all gifted and is attributed to all the gifts the gods bestowed upon her
The gods gave Pandora many gifts, the gift of music from Apollo, beauty from Aphrodite, and many others
King Midas is a famous king from Phrygia in Asia Minor
Medusa is the youngest and most beautiful of the three daughters of the sea Titans Porcys and Ceto
Medusa is the only mortal of three sisters
Medusa's sisters are Stheno and Euryale
Medusa and her sisters are very wise
Medusa and her sisters serve as priestesses under the goddess of wisdom and war, Athena
Poseidon desired beautiful Medusa, and in a moment of uncontrolled passion he raped Medusa in Athena's own temple
Athena transformed Medusa into a hideous beast, with wings and numerous snakes for hair
The transformed Medusa is so horrid to behold that whosoever looked at her would instantly turn to stone
Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta, the king and queen of Thebes
The beautiful Persephone is the daughter of the earth goddess, Demeter
Demeter taught the people how to plant and how to grow food so that they may live
Demeter taught the people about the gathering of their harvests so that they may live
The city of Thebes is plagued by the horrible Sphinx
The Sphinx routinely asks passerbys a riddle, and whoever can not answer is snatched up and eaten by the beast
Aristotle is one of the greatest thinkers of all time
Plato considered Aristotle his most talented and intelligent student
Plato bestowed upon Aristotle the title, The Reader
Hippocrates is known today as the Father of Medicine
Hippocrates was born on the island of Kos in 460 B.C.E.
Hippocrates practiced his chosen art of medicine in several cities throughout the ancient Greek world
Hippocrates practiced the art of medicine in Athens during it's Golden Age
Hippocrates was laid to rest in the Greek city of Larissa in Thessaly in 375 B.C.E.
Hippocrates believed that human disease had only natural causes
The medicine which Hippocrates practiced removed the treatment of disease from religion
Hippocrates never formed a connection with the priests or hospitals of Aesclepius, the god of healing
Hippocrates turned medicine into a science as well as an art
Hippocrates applied logic and reason to the treatment of his patients
The theories Hippocrates developed are summed up in The Corpus Hippocratium
The Corpus Hippocratium is the oldest surviving complete medical collection
The Hippocratic oath was developed for those who were to practice medicine based on loyalty, honor and virtue among other noble traits
Phidias lived from 493 to 430 B.C.E.
Phidias is a very famous ancient Greek sculptor who lived during the Golden Age of Athens
Phidias designed and created the Parthenon
Phidias is the creator of the Athena statue that resides in the Parthenon
Phidias created one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in his massive sculpture to Zeus at Olympia
The Golden Age of Greece is the time when Athens along with the other Greek city-states defeated the powerful Persian empire
The Golden Age of Greece is the time when Athens became leader of a powerful alliance of ancient Greek city-states with a common goal of defending their homeland
A great portion of what Greece contributed to western civilization occurred during the Golden Age of Greece
The powerful alliance during the Golden Age that Athens ruled over was known as the Delian League
Plato lived during and after the destructive Peloponnesian War
Plato was born into the aristocracy of the city of Athens
Plato lived from 428 to 347 B.C.E.
After Socrates was executed, Plato went to live for 12 yers in Sicily and Italy, otherwise known as Greater Greece
Plato encountered the Pythagorean sects in Sicily
The Pythagoreans had a profound effect in Plato's life
Plato returned to Athens in 387 B.C., and founded the Academy of Athens
Plato believes that the pursuit of truth can only come through questions, answers, and then with questions once again
Plato believes that the best quality in a statesman was not technical or practical ability but rather knowledge and wisdom
Plato believes that all constitutions and laws were inherently bad in that they did not meet the constantly changing events of modern life
Plato believes that states were not stable in that they relied on laws that could not keep up with the needs of the society
Plato thought what was needed were men with a godlike insight that could lead the state
Plato thought the perfect state would consist of three main parts: the wise leaders, the military, and the rest of society
Plato became so disillusioned with mankind that he decided that mankind could not be governed by reason
Socrates was born in the city of Athens in 470 B.C.E.
Socrates was liked by many Athenians yet he was disliked by most
Socrates spent much of his time in the Agora where he held conversations with the citizens of Athens
Socreates is most remembered for his strong moral beliefs
Socrates believes that people do evil out of ignorance
Socrates believes that people are inherently good
Socrates taught his philosophy by questioning those who listened to him on the streets of Athens
Socrates showed people that the answers they often had for questions were insufficient
Socrates formed a very large following among the disillusioned youth of Athens
The philosophy of Socrates rejected the relativism of the Sophists and the belief that it is impossible to arrive at what is right and wrong
Socrates agreed with the Sophists that distinctions do exist in customs between any two cities
Socrates argued that the animal world cannot be used in comparison to humans
Socrates thought the essential problem with mankind was the ignorance and lack of insight into the nature of good and evil
Hippocrates said, For where there is love of man, there is also love of art
Pindar said, Success for the striver washes away the effort of striving
Socrates said, The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be
Sacred to the goddess Demeter were agricultural products, livestock, poppy, narcissus and grain
The center of worship of Demeter was at Eleusis, near Athens
At Eleusis secret rituals every five years known as the Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries are based on Demeter's search for her Daughter Persephone
The Pythagoreans believed, but failed to prove, that the universe could be understood in terms of whole numbers
Pythagoras is a son of Mnesarchos
Pythagoras was born on the isle of Samos in 580 B.C.E.
Pythagoras left his fatherland to escape the tyranny of Polykrates
For many years Pythagoras made his home in Kroton in southern Italy
Pythagoras and his followers were banished from Kroton by an opposing political party
Pythagoras died at Metapontum in 500 B.C.E.
Pythagoras was a mystic thinker and religious reformer quite as much as a philosopher and politician
Pythagorean philosophy is an important source of inspiration for Plato and Aristotle
The school of Pythagoras was as much a religion as a school of mathematics
Pythagoreans are vegetarians, possibly because they believed in the transmigration of souls
The school of Pythagoras represents the mystic tradition in contrast with the scientific
The Pythagorean school regards men and women equally
Pythagorean men and women enjoy a common way of life
Property is communal in Pythagorean society
Even mathematical discoveries are communal in Pythagorean society
Pythagoras states that the greatest purification of all is disinterested science
Mathematics, so honored by Pythagoras, became the model for other sciences
Pythagoras teaches that Thought is superior to the senses, and intuition is superior to observation
The dictum of the Pythagorean school is, All is Number
Theano, the wife of Pythagoras, gave us the concept of the Golden Section
The Golden Section states: A is to B as B is to C
The Golden Section is also known as the Divine Proportion, the Golden Mean and the Golden Ratio
The Golden Mean is represented by the Greek letter, phi
The common decimal representation of phi is 1.6180339887499
Theoretical Wisdom aims at truth
Theoretical Wisdom is concerned with knowledge of first principles
Theoretical knowledge is of what is necessary and eternal
Theoretical knowledge is concerned with what can not be otherwise
Theoretical knowledge is concerned with things that don't change
Practical Wisdom aims at truth
Practical Wisdom is truth in the service of action
Practical Wisdom is concerned with what can be otherwise, with things that change
Practical Wisdom is concerned with things that change and are related to how humans live their lives among other humans
Only the person who is morally virtuous will be able to be practically wise
Only the morally virtuous person will perceive what really matters in any situation
Only the morally virtuous person will be motivated to carry out appropriate action
Practical Wisdom is in the service of action
Human beings need to be able to deliberate well about what actions are needed to bring about what is rightly desired
The person who is morally virtuous and has practical wisdom will perceive and deliberate well, and hence, choose well
Practical Wisdom is a necessary condition for Understanding
Theoretical Wisdom is not a necessary condition for Practical Wisdom
Moral Virtue is not a necessary condition of Theoretical Wisdom
Theoretical Wisdom is not a necessary condition of Moral Virtue
Moral Virtue is a necessary condition of Practical Wisdom
The person who can reason well to get an end that is not rightly desired is clever but not wise
A person can be good at means & end reasoning without Moral Virtue, but will neither perceive the situation correctly nor desire the right end
Practical Wisdom is a necessary condition of Moral Virtue
Part of being morally virtuous is listening to what practical reason tells you about what a particular situation is like so that you can know what it is appropriate to feel
Part of being morally virtuous is being able to carry out good intentions through effective means & end reasoning
The practically wise and morally virtuous person does not need theoretical wisdom
Both practical wisdom and moral virtue are acquired over a long period of training and instruction in a moral community
We acquire practical wisdom and moral virtue by being shown what things matter in a situation, how to feel about these things, and how to act appropriately
The purpose of moral education is not to find out what is good but to act well
The word philosophy means love of wisdom
A man with theoretical wisdom has exact knowledge of all disciplines, such as physical sciences, metaphysics, mathematics, and philosophy
A man with theoretical wisdom has an intellect that grasps the truth of fundamental principles
Theoretical Wisdom comprises complete scientific knowledge in combination with an understanding of the true meaning of what intuition deduces from first principles
Theoretical Wisdom is the highest and most noble kind of wisdom
Theoretical Wisdom is a union of intuition and science
Political Wisdom is an aspect of Practical Wisdom
Practical wisdom is concerned with securing the Good of the individual
Political Wisdom is concerned with securing the Good of the state
There are important differences between the needs of the individual and the group which cause Practical and Political Wisdom to emphasize varying approaches and ideas
Political Wisdom has two branches
The supreme and comprehensive form of Political Wisdom is concerned with legislation and the ability to legislate well
The lesser form of Political Wisdom is concerned with the details of administration and is itself divided into two parts, the judicial and decision-making faculties
Practical wisdom is the first principle of good deliberation
Practical wisdom enables us to evaluate a situation or problem in terms of its general characteristics and to decide the right way and time to act
Practical wisdom makes it possible to correctly assess the means to an end by giving a true conception of that end
Practical wisdom makes it possible to correctly assess a good standard for judging approaches to the desired end
There is an important difference between good and correct deliberation
A morally weak or bad man can deliberate correctly and can attain the goal which he has decided is right for him even though the goal is bad
The result of good deliberation is always a good thing
It is possible to achieve a good goal by the wrong means through ignorance or bad judgment
The means selected by good deliberation are always good
Understanding and practical wisdom, though different things, operate in the same sphere
Practical Wisdom issues commands
Practical Wisdom's aim is to tell us what we ought and ought not to do
Understanding does not imply either possession or acquisition of Practical Wisdom
Understanding is the use of one's faculty of opinion in rightly judging statements made about matters which belong to the realm of Practical Wisdom
Practical Wisdom is the result of experience
Good Sense is an innate characteristic
Native Intelligence can be developed into Theoretical Wisdom
Innate Good Sense can be developed into Practical Wisdom
Good Sense is the quality we say a man has when he is able to forgive others
Good Sense is a sympathetic understanding and a good judgment of what is fair and equitable
Good sense, understanding, practical wisdom, and intelligence, are nearly always found in the same persons
Good sense, understanding, practical wisdom, and intelligence, all tend toward the same goal and share a concern with ultimate particular facts
Practical Wisdom contemplates the means by which men become happy
Theoretical wWisdom is concerned only with unchangeable realities
It is impossible to have Theoretical Wisdom without also having Practical Wisdom
Practical and Theoretical Wisdom are good in themselves, apart from their effects, simply because they are virtues
The exercise of wisdom is the essence of happiness
Contemplation and the life of Theoretical Wisdom constitute man's highest end
Practical Wisdom is an essential element of man's highest end
Virtue makes man choose the right ends
Practical Wisdom makes man choose the right means
Practical Wisdom cannot exist independently of virtue
The power to attain an end, whether good or bad, is mere talent or cleverness, and is raised above the level of roguery only by the presence of virtue
Practical Wisdom implies Moral Virtue
Moral Virtue implies Practical Wisdom
It is impossible to develop Moral Virtue without thorough training in Practical Wisdom
Virtue cannot be complete without the possession of Practical Wisdom
Socrates was wrong when he said that virtue was only wisdom
Socrates was right when he said that virtue is a form of knowledge
Though the Natural Virtues can exist in isolation from each other, the Moral Virtues are interdependent
Possession of any Moral Virtue implies possession of Practical Wisdom
Possession of practical Wisdom implies possession of all the Moral Virtues
A man with practical wisdom controls his instinctive tendencies and directs his own life to the highest good
The highest good is balanced development of moral character, otherwise known as virtue
Practical Wisdom is subordinate to Theoretical Wisdom
Practical Wisdom is Prudence
Prudence is excellence of the deliberative faculty of the soul and enables one to exercise right choice
Practical Wisdom is excellence of the deliberative faculty of the soul and enables one to exercise right choice
Prudence enables us to choose the right means for attaining the right ends as determined by virtue
Practical Wisdom makes the existence of Virtue possible
Practical Wisdom is not the same as Virtue
Reason is an important factor in the achievement of all the virtues
Reason is an essential element in the doctrine of the Golden Mean
The Golden Mean tells us that a virtue is the point which is midway between the extremes of excess and deficiency
Plato taught Aristotle that knowledge of the Good was the most important quest that could ever occupy the mind of man
Alpha is the uppercase form of the first letter of the Greek alphabet
Abae is the site of the oracular shrine of Apollon in Phokis near the city of Delphi
Abarbare is a Naiad, a water nymph, and the consort of Boukolion
Abarbare is the mother of the twins, Pedasos and Aisepos
Abarbare's name is also rendered as Abarbaree and Abarbarea
Abdera was the birthplace of the philosopher Demokritus and the sophist Protagoras
Abdera is a city on the coast of Thrake east of the river Nestos
Abdera was first settled in the seventh century B.C.E., and then about a hundred years later it was re-established by Ionians from Asia Minor
Ironically, the inhabitants of Abdera are mocked for their inferior minds
Abydos is a city on the Asian side of the Hellespont
Sestos is a city on the European side the Hellespont
Akademeia is an olive grove near the city of Athens which was sacred to the hero Akademus
Plato taught at the olive grove of Akademeia, ands their school became known as The Academy
Akademus assisted Kastor and Pollux in the rescue of their sister, Helen
The Achaean League is the confederacy of twelve cities in Achaea on the Peloponnesian Peninsula
The Achaean League was unique in that it was ruled by a democratic system
The Achaean League was dissolved by Alexander the Great but later reorganized in 280 B.C.E. with ten cities under the leadership of Aratus of Sikyon
The Achaean League ended when it was forcibly disbanded by the Romans circa 146 B.C.E.
Adrasteia is a name for the daughter of Nyx, and means Nemesis, and that means Divine Retribution or The Inevitable
Virtue makes man choose the right ends
Practical Wisdom makes man choose the right means
Practical wisdom cannot exist independently of virtue
It is not the mathematical Mean but the organic Mean as determined by Reason that prescribes what each individual ought to do
The nature of goodness is not purely a matter of satisfying one's desires
Desires are an important element in the good life
Desires are given guidance and direction by Reason
Unsupervised desires may hinder rather than promote the realization of the good life
In the moral virtues the emphasis is placed on the proper control of one's appetites and desires
Temperance becomes a means toward the acquisition of good health
Courage is a necessary means for the further development of one's capacities and powers
That which is a Means must always be a Means, and there must be a final end or goal which has value in itself
Wisdom is highest among all the virtues
Wisdom is the realization of a capacity which distinguishes man from the lower animals
Wisdom gives man a kind of kinship with the gods
Wisdom can be used to direct life's activities
Wisdom in contemplation enables man to find his greatest happiness and the fulfillment of that which is unique in his nature
It is through the development of the intellect that man acquires knowledge of the sciences
It is through sensation that we are made aware of that which changes from time to time
It is only through the intellect that we gain knowledge of the permanent or unchanging principles
It is only through the intellect that we gain knowledge which enables us to organize the world of our experiences
There are false intuitions as well as correct ones and it is the function of the reason to distinguish between them
It is through a type of intuitive insight that the mind grasps the principles of conduct that may point the way toward the good life
Correct Intuitions must be consistent with themselves and in harmony with all the known facts
Correct Intuitions must provide an intelligible and meaningful interpretation of one's experiences
Correct Intuitions do not often occur to the ignorant or uninformed person
One should look to those who are highly trained in the appropriate field for guidance and for suggestion
It is always possible to select the course of action which appears to be the most reasonable
It is possible to distinguish three states of badness: incontinence, vice, and bestiality
It is possible to distinguish three states of goodness: continence, virtue and superhuman virtue
Bestiality is found chiefly among barbarians
Bestiality may occasionally be produced among civilized men by disease or mutilation
Comprehension is neither having prudence or acquiring it
Comprehension and good comprehension are the same
Comprehension is not the same as scientific knowledge
Comprehension is not one of the specific sciences
Comprehension is not a belief
Comprehension and Prudence are concerned about the same things
Comprehension is not the same thing as Prudence
Prudence prescribes while comprehension judges
Comprehension consists of in the application of belief to judge someone else's remarks on a question that concerns prudence
Comprehension is neither having prudence nor acquiring it
Comprehension is about what we might be puzzled about
Comprehension is about what we might deliberate about
Correct Consideration judges what is true
The decent person has Consideration
Corect Consideration judges what is decent
Prudence and Wisdom are virtues of different parts of the Soul
Incontinence can be defined as acting from passion despite knowledge that one's acts are bad
Continence consists of knowing that one's appetites can be bad and resisting them in obedience to a rule
Plato taught that people were naturally divided into different areas of excellence
Plato taught that some people are naturally gifted to rule on moral questions
Plato taught that there existed absolute moral truths which were accessible to a few people
Plato taught the Myth of Er, which provides a fictional vision of the after life
The study of ethics is a study of the character of human beings
Man is by nature a social and political being
Man derives his moral purpose from participation in an existing community, the world of parents, ancestors, friends, customs, institutions, and laws
There is no individual existence prior to or independent of the community
Ethical enquiry must take into account the essential social and political basis of human life
The study of what makes a particular person good is inextricably a part of the more important discussion of what makes the community good
Moral theory is based on the morality of the community
Man has no complete identity or purpose without the community to which he belongs
Different communities live by different rules and have different standards of ethical conduct
We study what generally constitutes community membership so we can come to an understanding of moral excellence in any community
The student of ethics must study the world we know
The student of ethics must study the world around us
The student of ethics must study the traditions of our community and of other communities
The student of ethics must study the opinions of earlier thinkers
The student of ethics must study what we all observe about the actual behaviour of people
The theories of human conduct we inherit we must explore by an examination of the facts around us to see what they may all have in common
The practical study of ethics must be grounded in empirical enquiry
The theoretical study of moral questions will not answer any questions with certainty
An understanding of some of the principles of moral conduct requires some existing sense of virtue in the student
Ethical philosophy is not a fit subject for the young and inexperienced
Every science, investigation or action aims at some good
Goods exist in a hierarchy
The lesser goods are instrumental in seeking the higher goods
Many things are good in and of themselves
The highest good will be the final goal of purposeful striving
The highest good is something good for its own sake
The final good for human beings is eudaimonia
Eudaimonia is always an end in itself
The goodness of anything resides in its proper function
The proper function of human beings resides in the active life of the rational element
The moral excellence of human beings resides in the active life of the rational element
A life of virtue necessarily involves acting in accordance with Reason
The Good for man is an activity of the soul in conformity with the best and most complete virtues
To act in accordance with Reason is a matter of observing the principle of the Mean relative to us
Finding the Mean is finding the appropriate response between excess and deficiency in a particular situation
We must distinguish between voluntary and involuntary actions
Not all human actions arise from deliberation and choice
A complex set of intellectual virtues is necessary for human excellence
The most important of the virtues in the sphere of moral action is Practical Wisdom
Every art or applied science aims at some good
Every action and choice aims at some good
The excellence of a man will be those things which best enable the man to fulfill a social and political function
Acting virtuously requires awareness
The most morally excellent conduct will be the response appropriate to a specific set of circumstances
The moral person must be able to evaluate a particular situation
The moral person must be able to recognize a particular situation for what it really is
The moral person must be able to comprehend the present situation in relation to any actions which he might undertake to respond to it
Analytical skills come from experience, habit, and education
The moral person must have a developed sense of what he wants his life
The moral person must possess some understanding of what is appropriate for him to pursue at this stage in the development of his life
The man of practical wisdom understands how to behave from one situation to the next
The man of practical wisdom understands how tp pursue the appropriate goals in the appropriate ways
The man of practical wisdom knows how to construct his life in accordance with the realities of the world around him
1 comment:
Oh yeah . . . some of those sentences Parrotstotle can't understand because they are too complicated. They would need to be broken down into their basic parts for Parrotstotle to digest them properly.
Time is a factor, and this is only a work in progress . . . y'know, I'd like to program a bunch of these things to mimic a variety of historical characters . . . and I'd really love to get into the AI program and re-write it better (and I can definitely do that) . . . but . . . poverty limits choices . . . previous choices limit present choices . . . and, unfortunately, I'm simply too recalcitrant.
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