Up@dawn 2.0

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Weekly Essay Aristotles Virtues H#

Aristotle proposes the idea that having strong virtues is the way to a happy, fulfilling life. He gives us the idea of these virtues as a sort of middle ground in-between certain characteristics, the mean between extremes. For example, he states that courage is the mean between rashness and cowardice, a sort of middle ground between these characteristics that one tries to achieve in their everyday lives.
This approach to these virtues appeals to me because I believe that life is all about balance, and I like to find order in things. For example, I think a good balance between work, school, and other activities is essential to maintaining a fulfilling, happy life. So, this notion of an in between of virtues, a mean that gives balance to human behavior, is really appealing to me on many levels. However, there are some points that I don't agree with. I don't believe that one can just change his or her personality to accommodate these virtues; I believe that you are born with certain natural tendencies, and these tendencies are innate in each person, and are different for everybody. These tendencies are what make people unique. While we can try to better ourselves in these areas of virtues, I don't believe that one can completely change themselves to fit this mold of these virtues. However, this theory could be useful for someone trying to better an area of their life, whether it be improving themselves in generosity or temperance. I believe that the idea can be applied in many ways, even if it's not perfect.

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