NICOMACHEAN ETHICS

INTRODUCTION ABOUT
THE PHILOSOPHY
IN GENERAL, THIS ETHICAL PHILOSOPHY
TAKES THE “MIDDLE WAY” OR THE MEAN
BETWEEN TWO EXTREMES. IT ALSO REJECTS
ALL FORMS OF IMBALANCE. IT DOES NOT
ONLY DEVELOP OUR MIND, BUT ALSO OUR
BODY.
THE GOLDEN MEAN PRINCIPLE SIMPLY
STATES THAT “TO BE HAPPY, ONE MUST LIVE
A LIFE OF MODERATION”. THIS MEANS IN
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WE MUST AVOID
DOING THE EXTREMES.
 PRINCIPLE OF THE GOLDEN MEAN:

EXTREME (VICE/EVIL)
MODERATE
VIRTUOUS ACT
SETTING
EXTREME (VICE/EVIL)
NICOMACHEAN ETHICS IS A POPULAR
WORK IN ETHICS. THESE WORKS WERE
WRITTEN AROUND 340 BC BY NO LESS
THAN THE STUDENT OF PLATO WHO IS
ARISTOTLE.
NICOMACHEAN PHILOSOPHY WAS NAMED
AFTER HIS SON, NICHOMACUS. IT CONSISTS OF
10 BOOKS:
1. ON HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE
2. ON MORAL VIRTUE
3. ON MORAL VIRTUE IN GENERAL, AND ON THE
MORAL VIRTUES IN PARTICULAR
4. ON THE SEVERAL MORAL VIRTUES IN
PARTICULAR
5. ON THE MORAL VIRTUE OF JUSTICE
6. ON THE INTELLECTUAL VIRTUE IN GENERAL,
AND ON THE SEVERAL INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES
IN PARTICULAR
7. ON CONTINENCE, INCONTINENCE, AND
PLEASURE
8. ON FRIENDSHIP (Part I)
9. ON FRIENDSHIP (Part II)
10.ON PLEASURE, CONTEMPLATION, AND THE
POLITICAL CULTIVATION OF VIRTUE
1. ON HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE
• ALL HUMAN ACTIVITIES AIM AT SOME END
THAT WE CONSIDER GOOD. MOST ACTIVITIES
ARE MEANS TO A HIGHER END. THE HIGHEST
HUMAN GOOD, THEN, IS THAT ACTIVITY THAT IS
AN END IN ITSELF. THAT GOOD IS HAPPINESS.
WHEN WE AIM AT HAPPINESS, WE DO SO FOR
ITS OWN SAKE, NOT BECAUSE HAPPINESS HELPS
US REALIZE SOME OTHER END.
2. ON MORAL VIRTUE
• VIRTUE IS A DISPOSITION RATHER THAN AN
ACTIVITY. THAT IS, A VIRTUOUS PERSON IS
NATURALLY DISPOSED TO BEHAVE IN THE
RIGHT WAYS AND FOR THE RIGHT
REASONS, AND TO FEEL PLEASURE IN
BEHAVING RIGHTLY.
3. ON MORAL VIRTUE IN GENERAL, AND ON
THE MORAL VIRTUES IN PARTICULAR
• ONLY VOLUNTARY ACTIONS ARE
PRAISEWORTHY OR BLAMEWORTHY. WE
CAN DEFINE VOLUNTARY ACTION AS ANY
ACTION THAT ORIGINATES IN THE AGENT
AND NOT IN SOME OUTSIDE FORCE LIKE A
PUSH OR A STUMBLE.
• ARISTOTLE DISCUSSES THE VARIOUS
MORAL VIRTUES AND THEIR
CORRESPONDING VICES.

• COURAGE AND TEMPERANCE.

4. ON THE SEVERAL MORAL VIRTUES IN
PARTICULAR:

• LIBERALITY AND MAGNIFICENCE

 • MAGNANIMITY
AND
PROPER AMBITION
• PATIENCE
• SOCIAL VIRTUES OF AMIABILITY,
SINCERITY, AND WIT
• MODESTY
5. ON THE MORAL VIRTUE OF JUSTICE
5. ON THE MORAL VIRTUE OF JUSTICE
• THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY FORMS OF
JUSTICE IN HUMAN AFFAIRS:
– DISTRIBUTIVE
– RECTIFICATORY
6. ON THE INTELLECTUAL VIRTUE IN GENERAL,
AND ON THE SEVERAL INTELLECTUAL
VIRTUES IN PARTICULAR
6. ON THE INTELLECTUAL VIRTUE IN GENERAL,
AND ON THE SEVERAL INTELLECTUAL
VIRTUES IN PARTICULAR
• THERE ARE FIVE INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES:
– SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
– INTUITION
– WISDOM
– ART OR TECHNICAL SKILL
– PRUDENCE
7. ON CONTINENCE, INCONTINENCE, AND
PLEASURE
8. ON FRIENDSHIP (PART I)
8. ON FRIENDSHIP (PART I)
• THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF
FRIENDSHIP:
–FRIENDSHIP BASED ON UTILITY
–FRIENDSHIP BASED ON PLEASURE
–FRIENDSHIP BASED ON GOODNESS
OF CHARACTER.
9. ON FRIENDSHIP (PART II)
• POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS RELY ON
FRIENDLY FEELINGS BETWEEN CITIZENS,
SO FRIENDSHIP AND JUSTICE ARE CLOSELY
CONNECTED.
10. ON PLEASURE, CONTEMPLATION, AND
THE POLITICAL CULTIVATION OF VIRTUE
 MORAL AND LEGAL ISSUES
RELATED TO THE PHILOSOPHY

MORAL ISSUE WHICH ARISES IS THAT WHILE

IT IS TRUE THAT ARISTOTLE’S IDEA GIVES A
PERSON A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY NOT
ONLY TO HIMSELF BUT ALSO TO HIS
SURROUNDINGS.
LEGAL ISSUE WHICH ARISES IN
NICOMACHEAN ETHICS IS THAT WHILE
LAWS ARE GOOD GUIDELINES ACCORDING
TO MORAL VIRTUE OF JUSTICE, THEY DO
NOT COVER EVERY PARTICULAR CASE.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PHILOSOPHY

1. THE PHILOSOPHY FOCUSES ON THE

DEVELOPMENT OF HABITS THAT
PROMOTE HUMAN EXCELLENCE &
HAPPINESS.
2. IT RECOGNIZES HOW RATIONAL
BEHAVIOR REQUIRES BEING SENSITIVE
TO THE SOCIAL & PERSONAL
DIMENSIONS OF LIFE.
3. “RATIONAL” ACTIONS ARE NOT BASED
ON ABSTRACT PRINCIPLES BUT ON
MODERATION.
4. IT PROVIDES MORAL MOTIVATION
ROOTED IN DISPOSITION OF EXCELLENCE
THAT STRENGTHENS RESOLVE &
ENRICHES THE ATTITUDE TO DO A
MORAL ACTION IN A HEALTHY
DIRECTION.
5. VIRTUES ARE CHARACTER TRAITS THAT
ARE “GOOD” FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE; THE
VIRTUOUS PERSON WILL FLOURISH IN
LIFE.
DISADVANTAGES OF THE PHILOSOPHY

1. VAST DIFFERENCES ON WHAT

CONSTITUTES A VIRTUE? ARE VIRTUES
THE SAME FOR EVERYONE?
2. SELF-CENTEREDNESS
3. WELL-BEING IS THE MASTER VALUE & ALL
THINGS ARE VALUABLE ONLY TO THE
EXTENT THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO
IT.
4. IMPRECISE
5. LEAVE US HOSTAGE TO LUCK
6. IT IS WEAK IN THE AREA OF WHAT TO
DO IN RIGHT-ACTION APPROACH.
 OPINION OF THE REPORTER
SOME OF US ARE GOOD BY NATURE, OTHERS BY
HABITUATION, AND OTHERS BY TEACHING.
NATURE'S PART EVIDENTLY DOES NOT DEPEND ON
US, BUT AS A RESULT OF SOME DIVINE CAUSES
THAT ARE PRESENT IN THOSE WHO ARE TRULY
FORTUNATE; WHILE ARGUMENT AND TEACHING
ARE NOT POWERFUL WITH ALL MEN, BUT THE
SOUL OF THE STUDENT MUST FIRST BE
CULTIVATED BY MEANS OF HABITS IN ORDER FOR
NOBLE JOY AND NOBLE HATRED LIKE EARTH
WHICH IS TO NOURISH THE SEED.
BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET FROM YOUTH A
RIGHT TRAINING FOR VIRTUE IF ONE HAS NOT
BEEN BROUGHT UP UNDER RIGHT LAWS; SINCE
TO LIVE TEMPERATELY AND HARDILY IS NOT
PLEASANT TO MOST PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN
THEY ARE YOUNG. FOR THIS REASON THEIR
NURTURE AND OCCUPATIONS SHOULD BE FIXED
BY LAW; FOR THEY WILL NOT BE PAINFUL WHEN
THEY HAVE BECOME CUSTOMARY.
THIS IS WHY SOME THINK THAT LEGISLATORS
OUGHT TO STIMULATE MEN TO VIRTUE AND
URGE THEM FORWARD BY THE MOTIVE OF THE
NOBLE, ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THOSE
WHO HAVE BEEN WELL ADVANCED BY THE
FORMATION OF HABITS WILL ATTEND TO SUCH
INFLUENCES; AND THAT PUNISHMENTS AND
PENALTIES SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON THOSE
WHO DISOBEY.
 SOURCES
Barnes & Noble. Nicomachean Ethics. Retrieved
from
https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/ethics/

Dr. Paul R. Shockley. (2019). Virtue Ethics:

Nicomachean Ethics. Retrieved from
https://www.prshockley.org

Fr. Floriano C. Roa. (2011). Business Ethics and

Social Responsibility. Philippines: RBSI