Aristotle's Ethics C

(Originally written July 12, 2006 in Book 4)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
Chapter 20 - Aristotle's Ethics

Pleasure is distinct from happiness, but one cannot have happiness without pleasure.

He states there are three views on pleasure:
1) It is never good
2) Some pleasure is good, but most is bad
3) Pleasure is good, but not the best

He rejects the first view outright and states that pleasure cannot be bad because pain is bad.

He believes that there is more than bodily pleasure.

Pleasures are either good or bad considering from what actions they are derived. Bad pleasures come from bad actions; good pleasures come from good actions.

Happiness lies in virtuous actions.

Perfect happiness lies in the best action - contemplation.

Contemplation is best because it requires leisure; leisure affords happiness.

Supreme happiness lies in reason.

God is pure contemplation, thus the more contemplative one is, the more he shares in the divine.

Unlike science, there is no scientific way of measure the validity of an ethical theory.

The best one can do with any ethical theory is to ask three questions:
1) Is it internally self-consistent?
2) Is it consistent with the remainder of the author's views?
3) Does it give answers to the ethical problems that are consonant to our own ethical feelings?

If either question one or two is no then we are right to say they are wrong. If the answer to question three is no, then we can only say that we do not like the ethics.