This article sets out to establish links between the main concepts of Aristotle's poetics and literary theory, with a view to illuminating some aspects of Aristotle's ethics and also of general ethical theory. We highlight topics such as weak universals (Halliwell), frame-making and free indirect discourse, that seem to us to establish a link between poetics and moral philosophy.

This article sets out to establish links between the main concepts of Aristotle's poetics and literary theory, with a view to illuminating some aspects of Aristotle's ethics and also of general ethical theory. We highlight topics such as weak universals (Halliwell), frame-making and free indirect discourse, that seem to us to establish a link between poetics and moral philosophy.

Mientras que la corriente principal de la filosofía moral moderna da por supuesto que la situación típica en los juicios morales debiera ser la de certeza, la filosofía moral de Aristóteles está dominada por la idea de verosimilitud. Su concepto central, el de virtud, está doblemente penetrado por aquella idea, tanto en su aspecto psicológico como en el epistemológico: no sabemos con certeza, sino sólo con probabilidad, en qué consiste por ejemplo la acción generosa en general ni tampoco en el (...) caso concreto. Sin embargo, la verosimilitud es una base suficiente para la práctica. (shrink)

The article deals with Mill’s criticism of some important traits of Bentham’s ethical and political philosophy. This criticism, formulated at the time of Bentham’s death or not much later, throws some doubt on the meaning and unity of the utilitarian moral enterprise, and shows how these two utilitarian thinkers disagree on some important points of ethical theory.