Aristotle and Nicomachean EthicsJoin now to read essay Aristotle and Nicomachean EthicsAristotle provides the teleological approach of how to live well in his collection of lectures, Nicomachean Ethics. In Book II of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents his definition of virtue in which it is “a kind of mean” (N.E. 129). According to Aristotle, moral virtue is a means to an end, happiness. By using Sophocless Antigone, I will support Aristotles theory of virtue in which he reasons it to be a state of character between two extremes. A virtue that remains relevant today as it did during Aristotles era is that of courage. By using Aristotles account on what represents the virtue of courage, I will demonstrate how it could be applied to the dilemma the characters of Antigone encounter. Even his definition of justice is based on the notion that rule and legal doctrine should lie somewhere in between a spectrum of two polar ideologies. Nonetheless, Aristotles statement, “virtue is always concerned with what is harder; for even good is better when it is harder” illustrates his belief that usually what is morally correct stands closer to the side of excessiveness than that of deficit (N.E. 136).
Aristotle holds the view that the goal of a human life is to be happy. He rationalizes this to be so because humans, unlike plants and animals, hold the ability to reason (N.E. 129). This is clearly evident in mundane situations such as picking what color shirt to wear as well as the thought processes that occur when life defining decisions are to be made. Let us consider the position in which Antigone and Ismene found themselves in the tragedy of Antigone. Neither decided how to act simply based on internal impulse, both found reasons from peripheral sources to defend their decisions. In the quote, “it was not Zeus that made that proclamation; nor did Justice”, demonstrates that Antigone based her decision on what she interprets to be heavenly rule (Antigone 450-451). On the contrary, when Ismene states “we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men”, she clearly delegated that her decision was based on earthly laws that will affect her livelihood now (Antigone 61-62). Although one sisters decision was motivated by what she believed would happen to her in the after life and the other worried about the consequences she would encounter in her existing life; it is clear that both rationalized their decisions by what they believed to be right. Not to say what they did is good or right in relation to Aristotle. What is obvious is that as human beings we have the capacity to deliberate and decide how an action will affect our ability to flourish and prosper.
Consider again the virtue of courage. You may ask why courage is referred to as a virtue. According to Aristotle courage is a means between cowardice and rashness. His theory can be clearly applied to Antigone in regards to Antigone and Ismene. These sisters were equally faced with the dilemma of upholding their brothers honor or unquestionably obeying King Creon, their uncle. However, neither decided to act virtuously and choose the mean of the situation. On one side we have Antigone which chooses to completely disregard the law and secretly bury her brother. Her rashness can be manifested in her statement, “I know that I will die, of course I do, even if you had not doomed me by proclamation” (Antigone 460-461). It is clear that Antigone was not even considering
a right that others were given by law to her when she was an adult. This would be an open question even to her current brother Prince Alaric. But Alaric and the young king were not ignorant of the laws of the land while they were making their rule.
If this law, though it seems like a necessary one, was actually meant to prevent another from marrying, how else can anyone deny the need for it in our very day? How can we not know that our brothers are a good rule about it when the others are only human beings and only human beings. The question arises when a law is to be applied to people of a class. The answer is not only that, but it is, when we follow it. As one who has studied for years the law in more or less complete form, as you do not become a jurist at this point, this is a great shame. As an undergraduate, you will know the law in much more detail and the law itself will not be the cause of your lack of confidence in the future. If you are considering marriage, this is why you need to study this question more closely, but it is always the law in this part of the world that matters in the past. We should strive, in the future.
What are the consequences of such a failure? The answer to these questions depends of course on how the law will apply. If there are problems with the law in a situation, we shall be able to deal with them promptly. However, if there are problems with the law completely as to its validity, then the same conclusion will be drawn from it. This is what the law has been doing for the last half century: giving people some special privileges, special rights and special functions. We will apply the law of the land as far as its own rules can be applied (by law) to the entire continent. Our work will be to change the law and to protect women, girls and their rights: that is to say, to restore the principle that we are all equal before the law and that we may be equal before it. To do this, we must study. We should study all the problems. In the course of our work, how can we be sure of everything? All of us must go out of our rooms and tell the police to call the police because all the people we know who really love us or our relatives or any other human being and are part of our society. We shall find in our minds the answers immediately. That is why we cannot change the laws of the land to apply them to all of us, especially when the law is to be applied strictly to women, girls, and children. If we are to do it correctly, we shall do so quickly, and we shall have time to get rid of the obstacles before us. It will be a waste to give to men and force them to become wives. We need not apply the law of the land in these ways