Aristotle s The Kindest Cut - 1808 Words

Aristotle was amongst the first known philosophers to examine morality and conduct. In fact, his approach and perspective towards ethical practice and happiness was perhaps the most influential moral philosophy up until perhaps Immanuel Kant. As such, Aristotle’s moral philosophical approach can be used to examine and understand ethical practices and behaviors. The particular ethical practice that will be examined in this essay will be that of Paul Wagner, the fictional character featured in Larissa Macfarquhar’s The Kindest Cut . Through an analysis of Aristotelian and Kantian ethics and Wagner’s behavior, this essay will seek to identify and understand the moral worth of Wagner’s actions. First however, a concise and relevant summary of†¦show more content†¦He believed that this flourishment often occurred gradually not as a result of physical pleasure and enjoyment, but as a result of developing the mind and soul in accordance with perfect vir tue (Nic. Ethics I 7).Therefore, it is by practicing virtuous activities and living virtuously that it is possible for one to flourish and develop their happiness. Unlike happiness, virtue is not an activity, but a disposition and a state of being. More precisely, it is a disposition to behave in the right manner. In Aristotle’s description, virtues are the â€Å"means† and intermediate states between what he considers vicious states (excess and deficiency). In other words, they are the moderation of desiring too much and desiring too little. For example, the state of being courageous is considered a virtuous disposition because it moderates the states of being cowardly (deficit) and rash (excess). Furthermore, Aristotle describes the virtuous person as one whose passions and deliberation are aligned; someone whose possession of goodness allows their acts to be guided by the balance of their â€Å"means† and their rationality. This means that to achieve a virtuous state one has to consistently aim for the â€Å"mean† of their actions to the point where it’s instinctive. (Nic. Ethics II 6). To Aristotle, possessing all the right virtues by allowing virtuous activities to take