The Virtue of Aristotle's Ethics
Cambridge University Press, 4/27/2009
EAN 9780521761765, ISBN10: 052176176X
Hardcover, 262 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
While Aristotle's account of the happy life continues to receive attention, many of his claims about virtue of character seem so puzzling that modern philosophers have often discarded them, or have reworked them to fit more familiar theories that do not make virtue of character central. In this book, Paula Gottlieb takes a fresh look at Aristotle's claims, particularly the much-maligned doctrine of the mean. She shows how they form a thought-provoking ethic of virtue, one that deserves to be developed and refined. The first part of the book addresses the nature of virtue and the virtues, illuminated by the doctrine of the mean. Building on the conclusions of this analysis, the second part explains the mentality of the good person and the type of society that will allow such a person to flourish.
Part I. Ethical Virtue
1. Virtue in the mean
2. Nameless virtues
3. The non-remedial nature of the virtues
4. Listing the virtues
5. Uniting the virtues
Part II. Ethical Reasoning
6. Moral dilemmas
7. Fine motivation
8. The practical syllogism
9. What the good person has to know
10. A polis for Aristotle's virtues.