Understanding Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics: A Deep Dive
The text analyzed corresponds to Chapter 5 of Book VI of the Nicomachean Ethics, by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. This chapter, along with its predecessor, deals with the various virtues, both dianoetic (intellectual) and ethical, that are inherent in man.
For Aristotle, virtue is defined as a habit or way of being, which comes only through learning and practice, bringing us goodness and perfection in our actions and thoughts. According to his teleological theory, all actions tend to a goal or objective, and the virtues bring man closer to his ultimate goal: happiness.
Types of Virtues According to Aristotle
Aristotle classified virtues into two types:
- Dianoetic or Intellectual Virtues: Related to human reason and intellect.
- Ethical or Moral Virtues: Related to will and action.
The ethical virtues refer to how to act in the world, emphasizing the human disposition to control vices and passions rationally and justly, always seeking a compromise that avoids extremes of excess and deficiency.
Dianoetic Virtues and Knowledge
On the other hand, dianoetic virtues improve man’s relationship with knowledge and truth. Among these virtues, several types are distinguished, each associated with a type of knowledge:
- Theoretical Knowledge: Scientific knowledge that is unproductive of reality, such as science, wisdom, and intelligence.
- Technical Knowledge: Dedicated to the study of human productions, exemplified by the virtue of art and the ability to produce rationally.
- Practical Knowledge: Intended to guide action and behavior, such as caution.
It is the latter, under dianoetic virtues, that prudence is based on fragment analysis. According to Aristotle, a prudent man deliberates rightly about what is good and proper, allowing him to decide rationally and accurately about what is best for himself and his community. This virtue is foundational; a human being cannot acquire ethical virtues without possessing the virtue of prudence.
The Role of Prudence in Ethics
Aristotle asserts that prudence cannot be exercised over things that cannot be otherwise, nor about things that cannot be done. In other words, one cannot be cautious about an object that is purely theoretical or on objects that our art cannot produce. He claims, therefore, that prudence is a way to be truly rational and practical about what is good and bad for man.
Prudence in Governance
The author also argues that caution should be a quality of administrators and politicians. This highlights the close relationship between ethics and politics in classical Greece. Aristotelian political theories define human beings as social beings, asserting that states should be organized based on moderation and operated by individuals who excel in the virtue of prudence.
Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of Prudence
It is this idea of moderation that Aristotle indicates safeguards and benefits from prudence, enabling us to avoid extremes of action and stay away from vices. Finally, the philosopher argues that prudence, unlike other virtues, is never forgotten; a wise man will always be able to distinguish between moderate and more correct decisions within their range of possibilities.
Aristotle was born in the fourth century BC in Stagira. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician to the Macedonian royal family. He received, in addition to the general education given to all Greeks, special education as a physician’s descendant.
At 17 years old, after losing both parents, he entered Plato’s Academy, where he met Plato and spent several years there, first as a student and then as a professor of rhetoric. The Athenian hatred towards everything Macedonian forced Aristotle, closely related to Macedonian power, to leave Athens to avoid possible reprisals.
He began a pilgrimage through Greek lands, during which he made significant studies in natural sciences and gradually distanced himself from the Platonic position. In 342 BC, King Philip of Macedon entrusted Aristotle with the education of his son, who would later become Alexander the Great. However, his education was interrupted when he had to take over the regency in Philip’s absence.
Aristotle returned to Stagira, where he spent several years in intellectual concentration until Alexander became king, allowing Aristotle to return to Athens. He founded a new school, the Lyceum, where he taught for 13 years. Aristotle was later accused of impiety and had to leave Athens again to avoid death. A year later, he died in exile.
Aristotle’s philosophical project is of a scientific nature. While Plato started from moral and political motivations, Aristotle was more interested in theoretical issues, particularly in addressing the shortcomings of the theory of Ideas. Aristotle conceived his philosophy as a final refinement of Platonic thought, developing an appropriate methodology based on observation and a critique of the theory of Ideas, not entirely rejecting it but questioning its separate existence from essences.