Kants and Aristotles Ethics Essays - 1305 Words

To be good is good but it has to be done for the right reason. Aristotle and Kant are two famous philosophers who have different ethical theories. The theory’s of virtue and duties rest not only on laws and obligations but from what comes from the inside. Morality comes from inner strength, character and how we live our life to the best end. Aristole 384-322 b.c.e. Aristotle conceptualized the branches of philosophy and contributed to the theories in logic, metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy (book 237). Aristotle’s teleological ethics: the reason for being. Aristotle focused on the peoples actions whether good or bad, as well as their character, not there right or wrong actions. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) branches of†¦show more content†¦Aristotle believed that good solutions require intelligence, relevant experience, and a reasonable degree of flexibility. â€Å"People who seek wealth, fame and success live a limited life, he compared these people to a brute beast† (book476) Aristotle also felt that moral actions only counted if the person knew what they were doing and deliberately did those actions in a settled and immutable moral state. He established two separate types of virtues: intellectual and moral. The qualities of intellectual virtue include wisdom, knowledge, rationality, and cognitive intelligence (book478). We learn intellectual virtues through â€Å"teaching and practice† (book478). The moral virtues are developed over time through practice. According to Broadie there are three types of Intellectual virtues: theoretical wisdom, practical wisdom and craft skill. Theoretical wisdom includes both scientific understanding and intelligence, and intelligence is also found in practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is the ability to make good choices in a rational way while avoiding bad. Aristotle asked the question of what makes a person moral, instead of what acts are moral. Moral virtues are traits of a persons character that are developed over time through practice. These traits include things like courage, generosity, friendship, and kindness to others (book478). When we do things like hold the door for someone we are showing moral virtues. ByShow MoreRelatedPhilosophical Analysis of Aristotle883 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle Many theorists consider Aristotle to be the first person to use the term â€Å"ethics† in naming the field of study that had already been subject to develop by his predecessors Socrates and Plato. Philosophical ethics attempts in offering the rational response to the questions regarding how the human beings live. Aristotle used to be regarding politics and ethics as two related but very separate field of study because ethics examines the good concerning an individual, while politics is about examiningRead MoreAristotle And Kant s Theory Of Justice1327 Words   |  6 Pagesand Immanuel Kant is essentially to compare modern philosophy to classic philosophy. Aristotle’s theory of justice links together ethics and politics; while Kant’s theory of justice is based on strictly defined principles of morality. Modern philosopher Michael J. Sandel provides a detailed analysis of each theory in his book Justice: What’s the Right Thing to do? Although the key featur es of Aristotle’s and Kant’s theories are mostly different in nature, there are also some key similarities betweenRead MoreWhat Makes A Right Act Right And Wrong Act Wrong?1444 Words   |  6 PagesPeople are unique because everyone has a different code or principles that they follow everyday for the rest of their lives. 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AristotleRead MoreAristotle s Virtue Ethics And Kant s Ethics Essay1271 Words   |  6 Pagesvirtues no longer matter in today’s world, but that’s simply not the case. We, as in humans, use ethics as a reference to our decision making on a daily basis. Whether it’s holding a door for someone or listening to an instructor’s lecture, ethics plays a significant role in everyday life. Although there are many different frameworks, I will only explain the impact of Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics and Kant’s Deontology as well as how they coexist and differentiate in our society. Aristotle was born inRead MoreThe Better Morality: Kant and Aristotle on Happiness1538 Words   |  7 Pageswhose end is the happiness of others, the world as a whole would be both happier and more virtuous if it operated under his philosophy. It is clear that Aristotle thinks happiness is what every human desires. He defines happiness as the highest good (Ethics 1095a), which by definition every person pursues as an ultimate end (1094a). Furthermore, he says that happiness can only be achieved through fulfillment of our characteristic activity, which is the thing that something does which makes it be thatRead MoreAn Argument Against Non Naturalism887 Words   |  4 Pagesdesires are related to what makes things good than non-naturalism is not true. C Non-naturalism is not true. What is Kant’s categorical imperative? Explain in detail how Kant would determine whether a given action is right or wrong. Next, present, explain and evaluate an argument against Kant’s categorical imperative. Kant’s categorical imperative comes from Kant’s Deontology, the work of Immanuel Kant. Categorical imperative is defined as â€Å"act only according to that maxim whereby you canRead MoreKant And Aristotle s Views On Ethics And Morals1480 Words   |  6 Pagesof the most prominent philosophers on ethics and morals. Each has their own idea about human life and what the highest good is. It has even been said that in his Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals Kant disproves Aristotle’s view. In order to prove that Kant successfully disproves Aristotle’s theory, we must first understand both theories. After a successful understanding has been acquired only then can we prove that Kant’s completely disproves Aristotle’s theory. In the Grounding for the MetaphysicsRead MoreComparing The Theories Of Aristotle And Kants Theory Of Ethics884 Words   |  4 PagesKant on the basis of ethics. I will be examining Aristotle’s theory of virtue in which his focus is â€Å"What is a Good Life† and Kant’s theory of deontological ethics in which the moral worth of an action lies in the duty upon which moral actions are engendered. To begin, Aristotles moral theory (theory of virtue) focuses on questions about what is good? His focus is What is the good life? What does it mean to be a good person? (Kemerling, Garth). Two key facets within Aristotles theory are the connectionRead MorePhilosophy: Beauty is not Morality 1395 Words   |  6 Pagesbeauty, Kant states that beauty is morality. Despite the fact physical beauty is highly valued in society, it is not the driving factor when it comes to determining morality and making ethical judgments. To support this, I will be introducing Aristotle’s virtue ethics and David Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature to demonstrate that beauty is independent of virtue and does not influence morality as it is not considered when discussing morality. Kant argues that beauty is equivalent to morality. He states