Aristole moral philosophy
Select one of the philosophers we will cover this semester and write a paper discussing the moral philosophy of your chosen subject. You can choose any aspect of your subject’s moral philosophy you wish to discuss, but you should discuss it in detail. This is not a research paper, so there is no need to find or cite sources in your text. I will be looking for an accurate and (relatively) complete picture of the moral philosophy you choose to cover.
Additionally, I will be expecting you to analyze a current moral controversy using the moral philosophy of your philosopher. Suggestions for controversies might include: assisted suicide, abortion, polygamy, the death penalty, stem cell research, or medical testing on animals. You can also choose your own controversy to cover. Just make sure that it is a controversy with multiple perspectives on what it is right to do in such a case.
To recap:
Choose a philosopher.
Summarize his or her moral philosophy.
Analyze a moral controversy through the lens of said moral philosophy.
Follow MLA formatting and style.
*Philosopher will be Aristotle
Sample Solution
Aristotle is one of the most famous philosophers in history and his moral philosophy continues to shape our thinking today. Aristotle believed that morality was based on finding a “mean” between extremes of behavior (Nicomachean Ethics, 1094a). He argued that virtuous traits like courage and self-control lay at the midpoint between two vices: cowardice and recklessness or licentiousness and insensibility respectively. By finding this balance in life, individuals could strive for eudaimonia—the highest form of human flourishing.
A contemporary moral controversy which can be analyzed through the lens of Aristotle’s moral philosophy is capital punishment. On one hand, proponents argue that taking criminals off the streets fulfills justice by enabling retribution while also serving as a deterrent to future crime (Langan & Levin, 2008). On the other hand, opponents claim that it causes unnecessary harm since there is always a risk of executing an innocent person or causing undue suffering due to its irreversible nature (O’Haire et al., 2017).
Through applying Aristotle’s idea of the mean between vice and virtue—in this case whether capital punishment should be enacted or not—one can find an appropriate course of action. To make such a decision requires looking beyond simple binary choices towards understanding both the underlying principles behind each side as well as weighing their relative merits in light of current circumstances. This levelheaded approach allows for temperance instead of absolutism when making tough decisions with profound implications.
