Reason and Character: The Moral Foundations of Aristotelian Political PhilosophyWhat does it mean to live a good life or a happy life, and what part does reason play in the quest for fulfillment? Proceeding by means of a close and thematically selective commentary on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, this book offers a novel interpretation of Aristotle’s teachings on the relation between reason and moral virtue. Pangle shows how Aristotle’s arguments for virtue as the core of happiness and for reason as the guide to virtue emerge in dialectical response to Socrates’s paradoxical claim that virtue is knowledge and vice is ignorance, and as part of a politically complex project of giving guidance to lawgivers and ordinary citizens while offering spurs to deep theoretical reflection. Against Socrates, Aristotle insists that both virtue and vice are voluntary and that individuals are responsible for their characters, a stance that lends itself to vigorous defense of moral responsibility. At the same time, Pangle shows, Aristotle elucidates the importance of unchosen concerns in shaping all that we do and the presence of some form of ignorance or subtle confusions in all moral failings. Thus the gap between his position and that of Socrates comes on close inspection to be much smaller than first appears, and his true teaching on the role of reason in shaping moral existence far more complex. The book offers fresh interpretations of Aristotle’s teaching on the relation of passions to judgments, on what it means to choose virtue for its own sake, on the way reason finds the mean, especially in justice, and on the crucial intellectual virtue of phronesis or active wisdom and its relation to theoretical wisdom. Offering answers to longstanding debates over the status of reason and the meaning of happiness in the Nicomachean Ethics, this book will kindle in readers a new appreciation for Aristotle’s lessons on how to make the most out of life, as individuals and in society. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 The Task and the Puzzle of Reason in the Nicomachean Ethics NE 1 and 2 | 13 |
2 Knowledge Choice and Responsibility for Character NE 31 5 | 65 |
3 Reason and Purpose in the Moral Virtues NE 36 49 | 103 |
4 Justice and the Rule of Reason NE 5 | 148 |
The Intellectual Virtues NE 6 | 182 |
6 Problems of SelfControl NE 71 10 | 231 |
The Philosophic Life NE 106 8 | 271 |
Acknowledgments | 277 |
Notes | 279 |
| 307 | |
| 315 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accord action active wisdom acts anger argues argument Aristotle Aristotle’s become begins better calls cause chapter character choice choose claim clear comes common complete concerned consider correct courage deliberation desire direct discussion distinct divine especially Ethics example fact fails fear follow gives grasp happiness honor hope human ignorance important individual insists intellect involve judgment justice kind knowledge lack least less living mean merely moderation moral virtue nature never noble object observes one’s oneself opinion pain particular passions perfect perhaps person philosophic pleasure political possible practical precisely present principles problem question rational reason relation requires responsible rule sake says seek seems sense serious simply single Socrates soul standard statement suggests things thought tion true truly truth turn ultimate understanding vice virtuous voluntary whole wish