Virtue Ethics Study Group

About this event

In Books I–IV of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to live well and how we can develop good character. He examines happiness (eudaimonia) as the highest human good, explains how virtue is cultivated through habit, and introduces the idea of virtue as a mean between extremes. He then explores individual virtues such as courage, temperance, generosity, and truthfulness. In this session, we'll examine Aristotle's arguments and discuss how his ideas can guide us toward living better lives. Discussion Questions Book I: Happiness and the Good Life 1. Why does Aristotle believe that happiness (eudaimonia) is the highest human good? 2. How does Aristotle's understanding of happiness differ from our modern understanding? 3. Is Aristotle's function argument convincing? Do human beings have a particular function? 4. Why does Aristotle consider virtue essential to living well? 5. Can someone live a good life without external goods such as wealth, health, and friendship? Book II: The Nature of Virtue 6. Why does Aristotle believe that virtue is developed through habit rather than being something we're born with? 7. Can someone become virtuous simply by repeatedly performing good actions? 8. What does Aristotle mean when he describes virtue as a mean between two extremes? 9. How can we determine the appropriate mean in different circumstances? 10. Is becoming a virtuous person primarily a matter of knowledge, habit, or deliberate choice? Book III: Choice, Responsibility, Courage, and Temperance 11. What makes an action voluntary or involuntary? How does this affect moral responsibility? 12. What is the difference between acting voluntarily and acting from deliberate choice (prohairesis)? 13. To what extent are we responsible for our own character? 14. How does Aristotle distinguish courage from recklessness and cowardice? 15. Can someone be courageous while experiencing intense fear? 16. Why does Aristotle associate temperance primarily with bodily pleasures? 17. Is self-control the same thing as temperance, or is there an important difference? Book IV: Virtues in Everyday Life 18. What distinguishes generosity from wastefulness and stinginess? 19. Does generosity depend more on how much we give or on our reasons for giving? 20. Aristotle describes greatness of soul (megalopsychia) as a virtue. What does he mean by this, and is his account convincing? 21. How can someone have an appropriate sense of their own worth without becoming arrogant? 22. What distinguishes appropriate anger from excessive anger or an inability to become angry? 23. Aristotle discusses truthfulness, friendliness, and wit as virtues. Why might these qualities be important to good character? 24. Can someone be too honest, too friendly, or too humorous? Bringing the Four Books Together 25. Which of Aristotle's virtues do you think is most important for living well? 26. Are there any virtues Aristotle discusses that you disagree with or would define differently? 27. Does Aristotle's account of virtue provide enough guidance for making difficult moral decisions? 28. What is the greatest obstacle to becoming a virtuous person? 29. How can we practically apply Aristotle's ideas to improving our own character?