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1. In Nicomachean Ethics, describe Aristotle's argument for virtue as the content of happiness in Book I, and his description of the Golden Mean in Book II & III.
2. Second, choose one of the virtues and an exemplar of it. Provide Aristotle’s description of the virtue and show how your exemplar applies to it.
3. Finally, provide an argument for whether we should consider your exemplar’s life desirable.
REQUIEREMENT.
1000-1500 words
12pt, New Times Roman, double-spaced with normal margins.
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Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
In the philosophical context, the society is often challenged with questions on morality
and how to live. Several philosophers have attempted to answer these questions since time
memorial including the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle presents one of his most essential
study on ethics in the “Nicomachean Ethics” which has greatly influenced modern society.
Aristotle suggests that happiness remains the ultimate goal of humans. It is through Aristotle’s
attempt to give an insight into the definition of happiness and its attainment that he transverse
into the concept of virtue. In Book II, Aristotle highlights the idea of the Golden Mean and
presents these exemplary virtues such as magnanimity. Therefore, Aristotle suggests that
happiness is the exercise of virtue neither to the extreme of the excess or deficiency but by
striking a balance between the two to attain the ultimate end and purpose of human existence.
Aristotle suggests that happiness is the ultimate goal and purpose of human existence for
which all activities should be directed. He is primarily concerned with giving an insight into
what constitute a happy life and claims that it involves the exercise of virtue (The Pursuit 1).
While the term happiness means success and fulfillment in Greek, for Aristotle, happiness is the
ultimate end that meets the requirement of a self-sufficient act in which “everything else is
desirable for the sake of this” (Pg. 2, Ch. 2). Aristotle does not propose that humans should aim
at happiness instead he claims that it is what they should desire to achieve while seeking
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pleasurable things such as wealth. Aristotle adds that “happiness is an activity of the soul in
accordance with virtue” (Pg. 24, Ch 13). Virtue pertains to moral behaviors and is often
influenced by the socialization and interaction in the external environment of an individual.
Although virtue is necessary for a happy life, it remains insufficient since it cannot guarantee
permanent happiness (Yocabi 85). Aristotle argues that virtue is something learned from a tender
age and gets perfected through constant practice. Therefore, Aristotle suggests that happiness
involves the exercise of virtue whose achievement requires the fulfillment of both physical and
mental wellbeing.
Aristotle then provides virtue as the content of happiness that is acquired through the
Golden Mean. Aristotle is primarily concerned with character development that inspires one to
acquire the necessary virtues which have both the “excess, defect and intermediate” (Pg. 38 Ch.
6). These virtues include but not limited to magnanimity, benevolence, courage, temperance, and
justice. The golden mean implies that virtue is a mean between two vices in excess and
deficiency (The Pursuit 2). Magnanimity as a virtue, for example, is a mean between the excess
of vanity and pusillanimity. However, the mean does not apply to intellectual virtues like
wisdom (Yocabi 85). The mean of the various virtue remains relative to oneself since it differs
from one person to another. For example, the extreme of one person is the mean of another, and
hence there exists no “perfect mean of excess and deficiency” (Pg. 37. Ch. 6). Aristotle re...