Thursday December 18, 2008 6:20 am Lethbridge

Now to begin Marinoff's description of Aristotle's philosophy.

Chap. 2 Aristotle's Golden Mean

• Here are the main section sub-headings:
  • "The Philosopher"
  • Happiness, Reason, and Proportion
  • The Golden Mean
  • Imprecision and Moderation; Terrorism and Tolerance
  • Movement Toward Moderate Reform
  • Everything in Moderation?
  • Fulfillment, Excellence, and Work
  • The Lesser of Two Evils
  • From A to B

"The Philosopher"

• The major events in Aristotle's life:
  • Born 384 BCE
  • At age 17, enter's Plato's Academy in Athens, where he studies for 20 years
  • Becomes a tutor for Alexander the Great
  • Returns to Athens and founds the Lyceum, where he taught for 13 years.
    
    
• "If you doubt for one moment the depth and duration of Platonic and Socratic political influence on the West, read for example Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' " [p. 44]
  

  Googling gave numerous references. Here is the wikipedia one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail Impressive! I cannot believe that I have not seen this before. The impact of the Web in making information readily available is inestimable.

Happiness, Reason, and Proportion

• "For Aristotle, happiness is an end in itself, the only thing worth attaining in this human life." [p. 47]
  
  
• "Aristotle believed strongly in purpose: Everyone has a purpose in life, and lasting happiness comes through fulfilling it. Everybody has capacities and talents, and by cultivating them virtuously we become fulfilled." [p. 47]
  
  
• "So Aristotle advocated a life of reason as the first step, but not the last, on the road to happiness." [p. 47]
  
  
• "Aristotle claimed that it is both desirable and possible to be happy in this life. His ethics teach us how to recognize and avoid extremes in life, for it is extremes, or a desire for extremes, that so often causes unhappiness." [p. 47]

The Golden Mean

• "Why did Aristotle borrow so conspicuously from geometry ... to provide a framework for his ethics? First, beause he saw the natural world as a place of lawfulness and orderliness, and wanted the human world to be as lawful and as orderly as nature. ... Aristotle perceived the aesthetic beauty of nature and knew it to be be based on 'correct' proportions. He then had the brilliant insight that morally commendable human behaviors ought also to be based on 'correct' proportions." [p. 49]

Imprecision and Moderation; Terrorism and Tolerance

• "The central process in Aristotle's ethics ... is attaining happiness by developing your potential and cultivating your excellence in accordance with moderation." [p. 62]

Movement Toward Moderate Reform

• "It is primarily religous (and also political) fanatics who cannot tolerate beliefs that differ from their own. Fanatics are dangerously and sometimes violently intolerant of others' beliefs, while fundamentalists are passionately wed to their own beliefs but normally pose no threat to others who believe differently." [p. 63]

This is a nice distinction. I wonder how many are aware of it. But the real issue is not the meaning of two words (fanatic and fundamentalist) but the beliefs of the individuals.

Everything in Moderation?

• "Does Aristotle sanction anything , provided that it's done in moderation? Of course not. ... Murder, theft, slander, adultery are some acts that ... can never be virtuous, even if performed moderately." [p. 63]

Fulfillment, Excellence, and Work

• "In Aristotle's terms, there is a kind of 'sustainable' or enduring happiness that is not dependent on external things or other persons, rather upon the refinement of personal excellence throught the practive of virtue." [p. 65]
• "If you think 'happiness' means pleasure or euphoria, you are guaranteed to learn a lot about unhappiness in a short time." [p. 65]
• "Happiness in not a goal that can be pursued ... Virtue and excellence lie within you, not outside you. Your fulfillment flows from cultivating these attributes, not from chasing the mirage of happiness." [p. 66]
• "A virtuous person strives to do things well, and mindfully. Virtue does not lie in your job title; it lies in good performance of your job. Whatever work you undertake, you should strive to do it well" [p. 67]

  This reminds me of when I often said to my students, "Don't worry about your grades. Learn the material of the course and the grades will take care of themselves. If you really understand the material, how could you not get a good grade?" This also applies to creating a model train layout.

The Lesser of Two Evils

• "... in cases where a golden mean between two extremes cannot easily be found ..., Aristotle suggests that you choose the lesser of two evils ... at least it minimizes the harm that you must suffer." [p. 70]

From A to B

• For Aristotle, the purpose of being alive is to lead a fulfilled life, by a mixture of contemplation ... and application of the golden mean. ... at one extreme of too little contemplation and too much action ... the other extreme, an overly theoretical life which neglects ... practical wisdom." [p. 71]

A good chapter. It is a relatively clear description of the main tenants of Aristotle's ethics. I enjoyed reading this and searching for the critical points. There was nothing new for me in the chapter but it was enjoyable to be reminded of many of the points. A nice way to begin the day.

Tags: philosophy, religion