Aristotle Class.

distributed 30 March).

Final in class essay questions (for 6 April 2015,

Pick one topic and write a 5-7 page essay. Exam books will be provided. You may bring with
you (a) one standard-sized sheet of paper with notes on both sides, (b) a text, either the
revised Ross translation of Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics or Ackrills New Aristotle Reader.

1. In the Nicomachean Ethics (Bk. I, ch. 7, 1097b22 ff.), Aristotle decides that the
best way to find out about human happiness is through the question: What is the
function of a human being? How does he arrive at the conclusion (1098a15):
"human good turns out to be activity of soul in conformity with virtue or excellence..."
and what does this answer mean. Be sure to explain what parts are played by the
notions of happiness, excellence or virtue, activity and function. Why does Aristotle
think his account squares with or does justice to widely held beliefs about human
good (I. 8)?
2. Among the views of human good mentioned in EN I.5 is that the best humanly
attainable good is the contemplative life, i.e., the life devoted, as much as possible,
to theoretical or philosophic wisdom. This suggestion is put aside here, and Aristotle
devotes his attention to a conception of human good or happiness as a full life of
excellent practical activity in which a range of moral virtues (or ethical excellences)
are exercised in conjunction with the intellectual virtue of practical wisdomthis is
the political life. Aristotle returns to the subject of happiness in EN X. 6-8, where he
contrasts the life of excellent practical activity with the contemplative life, in which
another intellectual virtue, philosophic wisdom, is exercised to the maximum degree
possible. To the surprise of many readers, he judges the contemplative life to be the
best life obtainable by human beings and to be superior to the life of excellent
practical activity. What can be said on behalf of each kind of life? What are
Aristotle's reasons for championing the contemplative life? If you would like, you may
say whether and why he was right or wrong to do so?
3. In EN III, chapters 1 & 5, Aristotle distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary
actions. He does this in connection with a discussion of excuses, for an action which
would be blameworthy if voluntary will be excused if it can be shown to have been
involuntary. Place this distinction in the context of Aristotle's discussion of human
good and moral virtue or excellence. Then explain the distinction itself. Be sure to
cover the two grounds for finding an action involuntary that are distinguished by
Aristotle, and do not neglect the further distinctions that he makes in the course of
his discussion, that between the involuntary and the non-voluntary and that between
acting out of ignorance and in ignorance. How successful is his account? Are there
larger questions that it fails to answer, or to answer completely?