Nicomachean Ethics Essay

The term ethics was first used by Aristotle to name fields of study which were developed by Plato and Socrates who were his predecessors. Philosophical ethics tries to offer a logical argument to the question of why humans should live their lives at best. Aristotle considered that ethics and politics are related but they were two separate fields of study because ethics investigated the good of a person while on the other hand politics investigated the good of a nation or state. This ethics highlighted the importance of an individual to develop good and excellent character. Over the years since ancient time, the writings of Aristotle have been read and because of that, these writings continue to impact today’s philosophers. So, this paper describes Aristotle’s work, Nicomachean ethics.

The title known as Nichomachean Ethics refers to Aristotle’s ethics and is usually given to the best works of ethics by Aristotle. It is assumed that the title may be referring to his son Nichomacus to whom Aristotle dedicated the work to but then again the title maybe was referring to his father who was also known as Nichomachus. This work played an important role in explaining Aristotle works on ethics and originally it consisted of ten books in numbers which were separate scrolls. These works are understood to be notes from the lectures Aristotle used at the Lyceum. The Nicomachean ethics as a historical philosophy is believed to be very important and had played a role in the European Middle Ages. Therefore, Nicomachean ethics became important in developing the modern philosophy, European theology, and law.

The first philosophical work on ethics was written by Aristotle. He argues that the best way to study disputable subjects such as politics and ethics, which was done through discussions of what was just is to begin with what would be violently agreed upon by people of good character, people with experience in life, and then work from there to understanding and up. With this approach, Aristotle starts by saying that the highest good of people, the highest point of all human applied thinking, is happiness. He successively asserts that happiness is correctly understood as a stable progress specifically fitting for the soul at its most ethical. If there are many virtues, then the happy one is the best, or perfect of them all.

Aristotle goes again to discuss several virtues and their agreed wrong doings. He discusses courage to be composed of confidence when facing fear and a person’s temperance as not yielding easily to the joy of physical feeling. Magnificent and liberality are composed of lending away some amount of cash in a right way. Proper ambition and magnanimity are composed of having the right character toward honor and knowing what is one’s right. Patience on the other side is the correct nature when it comes to controlling anger, though sometimes it is good to show the anger of some degree. The virtues of sincerity, intelligence, and amiability make for a good and agreeable interaction with others. Modesty is not really a virtue but an appropriate character towards shame and is seen in the young people.

In conclusion, the term ethics was first used by Aristotle to name the fields of study which were developed by Plato and Socrates who were his predecessors. The ethics tries to offer a logical argument to the question on why humans should live their lives at best. Ethics and politics are related but they were two separate fields of study because ethics investigated the good of a person while on the other hand politics investigated the good of a nation or state. Nichomachean Ethics refers to Aristotle’s ethics and is usually given to the best works of ethics by him. This work played an important role in explaining Aristotle works on ethics and became important in developing the modern philosophy, European theology, and law.