Virtue Ethics
How Aristotle’s moral philosophy can help you live a happier, more fulfilled life
The branch of ethics in philosophy deals specifically with morality, with man’s code of values pertaining to himself and how he conducts himself in regards to those around him. Aristotle’s moral philosophy is unique and significant because it lays out clear and concise virtues based in reality man can put into practice immediately. While many philosophers believe in a type of moral subjectivism, Aristotle gives us virtues based on objective principles rooted in logic that do not change according to class, situation, or whim.
A Goal-Oriented Approach to Living
His specific type of moral philosophy is referred to as “Virtue Ethics.’ Within his virtue ethics are both cardinal virtues and corollary virtues that are vital to man’s fulfillment and happiness.
Aristotle’s view on fulfillment and happiness differs from other philosophers as well. Epicureans for instance believe that the way to happiness and fulfillment lies in leading a tranquil life, separate from the hustle and bustle of society. Aristotle posited that happiness (and fulfillment) is derived from man’s achievement of personal goals that are important to him as an individual.
An athlete therefore would derive happiness from working hard during the offseason and having a banner year that will help his team get into the playoffs. A classically trained violinist derives fulfillment and happiness from serious daily practice and performance that eventually earns her a spot in an orchestra.
This approach to life requires an Aristotelian trifecta, being virtuous, having child-like curiosity, and putting in the work required to achieve your goals.
This three-pronged approach is what Aristotle believed to be the key to achieving happiness, and man should do this over the course of his lifetime. Man’s personal work within the realm of moral philosophy is never complete, but a lifelong project towards an ideal. Man will never reach the ideal because he is human, and therefore understandably fallible. However, in attempting to get as close as possible to an ideal (or standard), man can achieve leaps and bounds both personally and professionally.
The Golden Mean
Aristotle’s key to living a virtuous life focused on fulfillment and happiness lies in his “Golden Mean,” a balance between “deficiency” and “excess.” His virtues represent the balance between these two extremes.
For instance, the virtue of Courage can be maintained via a balance between cowardice and recklessness. The virtue of Temperance can be maintained via a balance between denial of pleasure and overindulgence.
This reality-based moral code was revolutionary because it gave any man the ability to lead his life in the here and now for the first time. While many philosophies focused on a finite march towards a virtuous death as the end goal, Aristotle focused on a virtuous life as the end goal. This is a beautifully inspiring philosophical view.
By applying his “Golden Mean” to virtues, Aristotle illustrated man’s best friend is steadiness and balance. Even today, this makes sense. As humans, we tend to gravitate towards people who have a calm vitality about them. Multiple studies have shown that the number one trait men look for in a mate is “peace,” definitely a virtuous trait in Aristotle’s vision for humans.
The Cardinal Virtues
There are quite a few Aristotelian virtues to study and apply to your life, but he does have a few cardinal virtues that require top attention. Four virtues can be found at the core of his moral philosophy: Prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.
If some of these words seem a bit archaic, let’s break them down into modern terms.
Prudence = Wisdom - Aristotle’s “Master Virtue”
Driving every action behind Aristotle’s ethics is the goal of wisdom, which leads to a calm soul and joyous temperament. The ancient Greek word for this was “Eudaimonia,” which means “human flourishing.”
He viewed “prudence” as a virtue of intellect, and focused on it a lot because of its vital role in one’s decision-making skills.
Remember, Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics is a practical philosophy as opposed to theoretical. Because of this wonderful reality, you can start applying this to your life today. No abstractions, no hypothesizing. This is an immediately applicable framework for living a good life.
Justice is more straightforward than the others. This top virtue is the key to your interactions with others. A virtuous man must also be a just man, which means courtesy and respect while interacting with others is paramount while conducting oneself in society.
Temperance sounds like an old school word because it is. And it got a bad rap as the title of the women’s movement in the 1920s that brought on prohibition.
But in the context of Aristotelian philosophy, temperance means balance. Remember the “Golden Mean” I mentioned earlier? The virtue of temperance is vital in making sure we maintain that mean for all other virtues. Moderate your cravings, vices, and most importantly, your emotions.
Remember, Aristotle is the father of logic. Emotionalism has no place in Aristotelian philosophy. That isn’t to say that emotions don’t play a significant role in the philosophy. They do. But man must recognize emotions not as primaries, but as a sum of parts. Man’s emotions are all part of a mechanism which he must properly program. In putting these virtues into action, man puts forth effort to have proper emotional responses which help him navigate his internal communication and communication with others, instead of hindering it.
Fortitude, whether mental or physical, means Courage in Aristotelian terms. Courage is most definitely one of Aristotle’s cardinal virtues. Whether starting a new business, running a marathon, or completing a work of art, one must have the courage to see the task through with prudence and integrity.
The Rest of the Virtues
These four virtues represent anchors which all other Aristotelian virtues fall under, but the others are important in their own right as well. Let’s look at a list of the rest:
Pride (ambition is important to Aristotelian thinkers)
Truthfulness (remain honest with yourself and others)
Magnanimity (be generous where and when appropriate- this doesn’t have to mean fiscally generous. This can also mean for instance, spiritually generous)
Friendliness (being pleasant and kind to others)
Wit (sense of humor, joyful approach to life)
Modesty (be a rational egoist, not an emotion-based egotist)
Magnificence (one’s individuality pertaining to style and charismatic appeal)
Liberality (budgeting; striking a balance between spending and saving)
The Key to Living a Good Life
These twelve virtues are at the heart of Aristotelian ethics, and the philosopher takes them seriously. Living a life according to Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” is no small feat, and that’s exactly why it’s worth taking on.
The ancient Greek philosopher dedicates a rather hefty book to his ethics, titled Nicomachean Ethics, in which each chapter is dedicated to one virtue alone.
Reading a large, ancient text may seem like a daunting task, especially if you want to jump right into applying this moral philosophy to your own life. Luckily, many contemporary writers have covered Aristotle extensively, especially his radical view of ethics.
I highly recommend Aristotle’s Way by Edith Hall. Not only does she cover virtue ethics in an easily digestible, modern language, the book is also full of inspirational stories and contemplative anecdotes that will give you a well-rounded approach to Aristotelian philosophy.
Thanks to Aristotle, we’ve been given a practical, real-world atlas for living not necessarily the good life, or a life previously only granted to Plato’s “philosopher-kings,” but a good life, which Aristotle knew was the key to happiness and fulfillment.
With these twelve virtues, you can get to work on improving your life today, and thus, the lives of those around you.
May eudaimonia be within your reach, always.