October 13
Wednesday, October 13, 2021Breakout
Happiness, Self-Sufficiency, and Death
In this breakout session we'll revisit Aristotle's function argument in the Nicomachean Ethics and discuss the rest of Book I, focusing in particular on the puzzles he raises concerning the relationship between happiness, self-sufficiency, and death. We will also spend some time considering the influence of Aristotle on the development of the contemporary virtue ethics movement and discuss the distinctiveness of this approach to normative ethics in modern moral philosophy.
Goals
- Consider further Aristotle’s notion of happiness as eudaimonia in light of his function argument
- Discuss the puzzles that Aristotle explores surrounding the idea of happiness as a self-sufficient good
- Consider the relationship between happiness and death
- Understand the difference between virtue-based approaches to ethics and other more rule-based approaches
Before Class
- Consider your own responses to the puzzles Aristotle raises in Book I concerning the relationship between happiness, self-sufficiency, and death
After Class
Further Resources
- “Virtue Ethics” – entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Rosalind Hursthouse)