Intellectual Goodness in The Way of Reasons by Aristotle...

Intellectual Goodness in The Way of Reasons by Aristotle In the reading â€Å"The Way of Reason† Aristotle tries to define the good that is within mankind. He moves through a variety of exercises that narrow down and simplify the ideas that man is inherently good and that his tendency for it is deliberate and pre-destined. He looks at different activities, then breaks them down and finds the part that leads toward the final happiness. He feels that if man is truly good within his soul that he will be happy. Not necessarily happy as joyful, but, more like content or satisfied. He spends a large amount of time examining different virtues and behaviors and then determines what the outcomes of these activities are. Some examples are†¦show more content†¦And so he gains happiness knowing that he did the right thing without resorting to being foolhardy and selfish. Another example that Aristotle uses is physical pleasures. While these may make one happy, one needs temperance to draw the line between doing something for a greater good or doing it because it feels good. He creates a break between â€Å"a) pleasures of the soul and b) pleasures of the body.† (Gill, pg 359). Aristotle want to define that while people may derive pleasure from the senses, they need a temperance to prevent them from breaking away from the mean of pleasurable experiences and creating a desire that tries to draw them away. By enjoying the smell of a rose or incense at just the right degree instead of forsaking other things just for that physical pleasure. If a person makes every effort to recreate or prolong a physical sensation, then it becomes wrong. It pulls one away from being temperate and pulls away from attaining the right balance. Just as there is a balance for Aristotle of emotions like fear and rashness, there is a balance between enjoying somethi ng and being driven by the results of the experience. One thing that Aristotle does is refuse these feelings and behaviors from animals. He says that they are too low to truly identify and enjoy these feelings. â€Å"And if we extend our observation to the lower animals, we note that they, too, find nothing intrinsically pleasant in these sensations. A hunting dogShow MoreRelatedAristotle s Ethics Of Happiness1282 Words   |  6 Pagesethics of happiness and how happiness and reason relate to one another from Nicomachean Ethics will be discussed. For one to understand Aristotle’s point of view, one must first understand the meaning of good and happiness. If an individual is asked to explain what is good, they may simply begin to list out items that are good. Aristotle explained that a person can easily compose a list of good things like, it is good to have friends or to be healthy. What Aristotle meant by what is good is the searchRead MoreGreek Philosophies Impact On The Early Development Of Christian Thought1348 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluated. 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