AN INTRODUCTION TO ARISTOTLE’S NICOMACHEAN ETHICS

An introduction to Aristotle’s Ethics which includes a consideration of his definition of happiness, the moral virtues and the intellectual virtues, the special role of justice and friendship, the nature of pleasure and pain, and his argument that contemplative activity is the goal of human life.   Aristotle’s Ethics is the most accessible of the Aristotelian treatises, and for most people it provides the best pathway into understanding Aristotle’s thought. For Catholics, Aristotle’s Ethics is highly important as serving as the philosophical basis for the moral theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.  The first hour of each class will be an overview and a general discussion.  The second hour will be a seminar-type, careful discussion of a particular passage.