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Aristotle and The Golden Mean
Prepared By: Muhammad Hassan
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Aristotle, 384-322 B..
!tudied 2" years #ith Plato at The
A$ademy, startin% at a%e &'.
Born to (i$oma$hus, a physi$ian, inMa$edonia.
)ounded his o#n s$hool the *y$eum,
+no#n as Peripateti$ #al+in% pla$e.
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Aristotle
He tutored Aleander the Great #hen
Aleander #as a youn% teen.
Aristotle #as $har%ed #ith impiety inAthens, and le/t to li0e in hal$is, in the
eastern A%ean sea, and esta1lished a ne#
s$hool on the island o/ *es1os, tea$hin%#omen philosophy.
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Aristotle
Aristotle pre/erred the physi$al, $on$rete,
material #orld, and the senses.
Biolo%y #as his primary su1e$t.Truth /or Aristotle is $han%in%, imper/e$t,
and li0in%.
Aristotle is $alled The )ather o/ !$ien$e.
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Aristotle
Humans are politi$al and so$ial 1ein%s.
Moral a$tion is possi1le only in so$iety and
$ommunity o/ our /ello# humans.To 1e human is to li0e #ith other humans,
and intera$tion.
The idea o/ %oodness is part o/ e0eryday, pra$ti$al a$ti0ity o/ human li/e.
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Aristotle
Aristotle5s approa$h is teleolo%i$al, #hi$h
means the $onne$tion 1et#een ri%ht a$tion
and the result or end o/ ri%ht a$tion.The %ood, is that #hi$h e0erythin% aims
in art and s$ien$e.
All o/ our a$tions ha0e %oals or aims.The end %oal /or humans is happiness.
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Aristotle
Happiness is an end in itsel/, ne0er $hosen
as a means to somethin% else.
Happiness is pra$ti$al, understanda1le.Happiness is /inal, sel/ su//i$ient.
Happiness is 1oth parti$ular and uni0ersal.
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Aristotle
6deas, $on$epts, or /orms do not eist
outside o/ material o1e$ts.
7no#led%e $an 1e /ound in the #orld o/ thesenses, natural #orld, physi$almaterial
#orld.
The unity o/ matter and the /orms.6deas $annot trans$end matter.
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Aristotle
&. Prin$iples and theories 9 +no#led%e o/
uality. A1stra$t, uni0ersal2. ausality 9 #hy somethin% happens
!$ienti/i$ eplains
3. !enses and ;perien$es 9 parti$ular,$on$rete, immediate
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Aristotle
The #orld is $onstantly in a state o/ /lu,
$han%e:
motion%ro#thde$ay%eneration$orruptionhan%e is a natural pro$ess and produ$t o/
li/e. ;0erythin% is in pro$ess o/ 1e$omin%
and dyin%.
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Aristotle
There are 4 $auses:
)ormal 9 #hat a thin% is
Material 9 that o/ #hi$h it is made;//i$ient 9 ho# and #hy it is made
)inal 9 teleos 9 the end purpose or %oal
)or Aristotle there is no /irst mo0er or $reator
Morality is de0eloped out o/ e0eryday li/e.
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Aristotle
Happiness is an a$ti0ity o/ the soul in a$$ordan$eto reason. A$tuali
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Aristotle
>irtue: a$tuali
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Aristotle
2 types o/ 0irtue: Moral and intelle$tual
Moral >irtue: ha1its de0eloped out o/ our
nature throu%h li0in% li/e? adaptations:learn to do 1y doin%: the pra$ti$al e0eryday
#orld? The mean 1et#een t#o etremes,
ha1itual $hoi$e o/ a$tions 1et#een t#o0i$es: e$ess and de/i$ien$y
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Aristotle
The Golden Mean is the mean 1et#een t#o
etremes, may 1e relati0e /or ea$h
indi0idual.!o$iety sets our mean, 1y use o/ the la#.
A$ts #hi$h ha0e no mean and are
intrinsi$ally 1ad in and o/ themsel0es:!pite, ;n0y, adultery, murder, the/t, lyin%
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Aristotle
6ntelle$tual 0irtue: philosophi$$ontemplation @ #isdom, thin+in%,+no#led%e, ta+es time, eperien$e 9understandin%
A %ood li/e is a happy li/e, a %ood person isa morally 0irtuous person
The ultimate li/e is happy, moral, and philosophi$
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Aristotle
Aristotle re$o%nioluntary a$ts are a$ts 1ased on deli1erate $hoi$e
and total human responsi1ility.
6n0oluntary a$ts are a$ts /rom i%noran$e, poor
tea$hin%, eternal $ompulsion, or a0oidan$e o/ a%reater e0il.
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Aristotle
2 types o/ a$ts$hoi$es:
6nstrumental 9 a$ts done as a means /or
other ends, eternali
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Aristotle5s Golden Mean
;;!!mean C;)66;(D
moral 0irtue
Honor>anityproper pridehumilityon/iden$eoura%e)ear
Pleasuretemperan$ePain
Gi0e Eli1eralityta+e E
;asy %oin%temperateiras$i1lehot temper
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Aristotle
the ri%ht a$tion at the ri%ht time, to the
ri%ht person /or the ri%ht reason This is
+no#in% #hen you are morally 0irtuous