Rationality and happiness are activities of the soul, and virtue is the excellence of these activities. Humans are the only life forms that have souls, the source of rationality. ... Three things are found in the soul: emotions, capacities, and characteristics. ... There are two different aspects of the soul: the irrational and the rational. ... Two aspects of virtue, the intellectual and the moral, are divided very similarly to these different aspects of soul. ...

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• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Virtues contribute to people's actions in today's society. ... Each class is designated to posses a specific virtue. ... Of the three classes, the gold souls posses the virtue of wisdom. ... Courage can be found in the silver souls. ... Certain music and physical activity will only be allowed. ...

• Word Count: 605
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Of the three classes, the gold souls posses the virtue of wisdom. ... Courage can be found in the silver souls, or the guardians. ... Certain music and physical activity will only be allowed. ... Each one of these virtues corresponds with a part of Plato's "soul". ... The virtue of moderation corresponds with the appetitive and ignorant part of the soul. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

In his view moral principles exist in the daily activities of human life and can be discovered by examining those activities. ... The rational soul may be rational in itself, and the animal soul may be subject to reason "that is, ruled by reason. ... Their animal soul is not subject to the guidance of reason. Such a person lacks what Aristotle calls moral virtue. ... Virtues and vices are states of character. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Another key theme in virtue ethics is moral understanding. ... The last key theme in virtue ethics is moral education. ... He describes that intellectual virtue is born from and grown by teaching, whereas moral virtue comes to us a result of habit, that we get the virtues by first exercising them. ... In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle lays out the idea that all knowledge and every action of man aims at some good, and he claims that the chief good of man is to be happy, and that this good is only achievable through activity of the soul exhibiting excellence; that is being virtu...

• Word Count: 1642
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Throughout his article "Virtue Ethics", he concentrates upon the concepts of virtue and happiness. "happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue(p. 394)." Both virtue and happiness are related to one another, for happiness is achieved through virtues. ... Virtue and happiness are directly related, for virtues are the way of achieving happiness. ... He supported the argument "happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue(p. 394)." throughout the article. ...

• Word Count: 461
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The ultimate goal in human activity is to achieve, through reason in virtues, happiness, a state desirable in itself for no other reason. ... Since virtues are vices which help man attain happiness and man has to go through a life of thought and reason to reach the median of these virtues, happiness is "an activity of the soul" (Aristotle 12). It's a lifelong process of learn and experience to obtain the median of a virtue therefore through the life span the soul has searched happiness because they have searched the mean of the virtue. Aristotle says that happiness is the ultim...

• Word Count: 694
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• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle said that "the Gods activity that is superior in blessedness is the activity of study...and human life is blessed to the extent that it has something resembling this sort of activity"" (Nicomachean Ethics 356). ... "Since happiness is a certain sort of activity in the soul in accord with complete virtue, we must examine virtue; for that will perhaps be a way to study virtue better"" (Nicomachean Ethics 264). This observation leads Aristotle to analyze virtue as it relates to the soul. ... In book VI (Nicomachean Ethics), Aristotle combines his examination of virtue with his examinat...

• Word Count: 2653
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

He answers that it is happiness, and he then develops an argument that human good is the activity of the soul expressing virtue. ... This leads to his conclusion, that assuming all he has said is true, "the good for man is an activity of soul in accordance with virtue" (76). ... Based on what he does say in this section, though, it is apparent that happiness is a product of accord between virtue and the soul, meaning that the activity undertaken by the human being tend toward virtue because that is the way the soul tends, and so long as this is true, the human achieves a harmony with the sou...

• Word Count: 1576
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Aristotle considers ends to be either activities or the products that come from activities. ... Aristotle attaches a function that is unique to human beings: rational activity and that is also the soul's activity based on the premise that human's function is the activity of the soul. When actions are completed well, virtues are expressed accordingly through the soul's activity. Therefore, the highest good, happiness, "turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, and if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete.... Ac...

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"The proper function of man, then, consists in an activity of the soul in conformity with a rational principle.... The human good is the activity of the soul exhibiting excellence for ones entire life. Human excellence is the activity of the soul according to reason. ... Virtue is not a part of the soul. ... " There are two types of virtues: 1) intellectual, and 2) moral. ...

• Word Count: 1227
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

This is seen throughout The Republic especially when speaking of the soul. He gives three parts to the soul: calculating, spirited, and desiring. ... In both the soul and city, Plato uses justice as the right ordering of the other parts and virtues, unifying them. To further show his emphasis on wisdom and the relationship between the virtues, he says "Isn't it proper for the calculating part to rule, since it is wise and has forethought about all of the soul" (Plato 441E). ... This furthers his point that someone that does not act can not have the activity that is happiness. ...

• Word Count: 1238
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• Has Bibliography

I believe that the meaning of life, according to Socrates, is to know one's self, to indulge in activities that will benefit as well as be good for the soul, and to always engage in a continual search for knowledge. ... An activity that enables an individual to get in touch with himself mentally and spiritually is the exercise of yoga. ... Yet, one may argued that activities such as hiking, camping or even swimming can also develop the soul spiritually as well because an individual is becoming involved with nature. ... For if we achieve human wisdom, we also achieve human virtue, for i...

• Word Count: 1529
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

For Aristotle's Closing statement he said "And so the human good [happiness] proves to be activity of the soul in accord with virtue, and indeed with the best and most complete virtue, if there are more virtues than one". ... "Of the [part of the soul] that has reason. ... "Moreover, we take the human function to be a certain kind of life, and take this life to be activity and actions of the soul that involve reason; hence the function of the excellent man is to do this well and finely" (109a12-16). To draw his speech to a close Aristotle concludes "And so t...

• Word Count: 773
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Of the three classes, the gold souls posses the virtue of wisdom. ... Courage can be found in the silver souls. ... Certain music and physical activity will only be allowed. ... Each one of these virtues corresponds with a part of Plato's "soul". ... The virtue of moderation corresponds with the appetative and ignorant part of the soul. ...

• Word Count: 1160
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Moral virtues are developed by force of habit. Moral virtues are not naturally instilled in us; the soul is designed to receive moral virtues, but in order to develop into guiding forces they must be nurtured by habit. The soul acquires moral virtue by exercising it, just as the pianist learns to play the piano by playing it and not by thinking about it. Virtuous activity breeds virtuous character. ... We may speak of the feelings, faculties, or dispositions of the soul. ...

• Word Count: 596
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• Grade Level: High School

A human's function is to engage in "an activity of the soul which is in accordance with virtue" and which "is in conformity with reason." ... The soul is made up of three things: passions, faculties, and states of character. Since virtue is in our soul one of the three must be it. ... We enjoy it as a means to activity; but it seems that the happy life is a life of virtue, and such a life is serious, it is not one of mere amusement. We speak of serious things too as better than things which are ridiculous and amusing, and of the activity of the better part of man's being or of th...

• Word Count: 1116
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• Grade Level: High School

The final result is the "chief good- which is sought out by the man who is doing the activity. Aristotle believes that since the activity culminates the soul, it will have an end result in making the soul happy. ... Moral virtue comes as a result of habitual activities. ... These activities are objective because they are different for every man. ... An example in which I thought up is on the activity of the consumption of alcohol. ...

• Word Count: 1190
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• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle says that we must first understand that "happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue" (Denise, 35). There are three parts of the soul: the rational (reasoning only present in humans), the irrational (growth and development present in all living things), and the irrational that is controlled by the rational (present in all animals). We must reason in accordance with the best state of our virtue to fulfill our desires. ... These virtues are divided into two categories: moral, which correspond to the rational ruling over the irrational part of the soul, and intell...

• Word Count: 397
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The soul can be divided into a rational and irrational part. The rational part of the soul controls the impulses, so one with greater rationality is able to control his impulses better. The irrational soul has two aspects: a part that deals with nutrition and growth and has little connection with virtue, and the part with governs one's impulses. ... In the article Aristotle states "activity of soul in accordance with virtue, and if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete" (Aristotle, 4). ... He believes that, "happiness is an activity o...

• Word Count: 914
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• Grade Level: High School

Aristotle thinks that virtue is mostly realized through friendship. ... In activities that people have there are three main things people want when it comes to friendships; pleasure, utility or the good. ... Moreover, friendship is also basically good since it stands for a development or perfection of the human person, what Aristotle would call a good of the soul. ... Socrates and Crito have different forms of virtue. ... I do not think they are equals in virtue. ...

• Word Count: 2150
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• Grade Level: High School

He states that for anything that has a characteristic activity (function), its good or excellence lies in that character activity. This premise gives way to the idea that the characteristic activity of anything is particular to that thing. Aristotle then claims that only human beings engage in a certain kind of rational activity, in which the function of human beings is activity of soul in accordance with reason, or at least not a part from reason. Therefore, happiness for humans is rational activity in accordance with virtue. ... Aristotle defines virtue as a mean of two vices; the vice of ...

• Word Count: 531
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• Grade Level: High School

He said that happiness does not lie in pleasure but in virtuous activity. By virtuous activity, he meant behaving according to a mean between extremes. ... Plato further claimed that happiness is the natural consequence of a healthy state of the soul. Because moral virtue makes up the health of the soul, all people should desire to be virtuous. ... "Plato argued that it is worse to commit an injustice than to suffer one, because immoral behavior is the symptom of a diseased soul. ...

• Word Count: 1206
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• Grade Level: High School

He defines happiness as activity of the soul. I believe happiness is a part of the soul. ... In order to have that start, you must be able to talk and engage in activities with others (show sociability). ... Aristotle also criticizes Phaleas which is based on basic reflections about the nature of the human soul. ... Aristotle's view on virtue is ridiculous. ...

• Word Count: 1586
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• Grade Level: High School

To reach eudaimonia, one must not only be embodied with virtue, but also act upon it. Aristotle said, "for the state of mind may exist without producing any good result, as in a man who is asleep or in some other way quite inactive, but the activity cannot; for one who has the activity will of necessity be acting, and acting well.... If he did so, Aristotle believed that the regulations would only mirror those of a classroom, in which he was convinced that virtue could not be learned. Instead, virtue had to be acquired through habits. ... This longing for mine was not contained like he...

• Word Count: 763
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