Rank, Talk, Write – The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle
Philosophy has always been something I found fascinating. I, therefore, took the time to read the work of one of the great scholars of our time. The great Aristotle. In the writings of The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle, he puts forth the arguments for several critical areas of our life that we ought to consider. I have documented the context of the work in the same way they are outlined in his writing as a logical progression of ethics.
Book 1: On happiness
Book 11, 111, IV on Moral Virtues
Book III: Free will, Choice and responsibility;
Book V; On Justice
Book VI; on Intellectual Virtues
Book VII; on Incontinece or weakness of the will & The First discussion on Pleasure;
Book VIII & IX on friendship
Book X The second discussion of Pleasure
Book X ON the Contemplative and the political Life
Based on the nature of ethics it will take time to go through all and so I will seek to address some of the elements of the first book. In Book I, he writes about happiness. This is defined as the “good” we seek. In some other writing is defined as the “greater good”.
The good is argued as both in the category of substance and in that of quality and in that of relation. Further, since ‘good’ has as many senses as ‘being’ (for it is predicated both in the category of substance, as of God and of reason, and in quality, i.e. of the virtues, and in quantity, i.e. of that which is moderate, and in relation, i.e. of the useful, and in time, i.e. of the right opportunity, and in place, i.e. of the right locality and the like”. (Aristotle, & Ross, W. D. (2000). p.4)
He notes that in every art and inquiry, and similar action and pursuit, is about reaching for some good. It is against this good we all aim. Whatever the outcome, some differences are found among the ends. It is the end driven by actions, or nature of the products that are produced by the activities.
“Now, as there are many actions, arts, and sciences, their ends also are many; the end of the medical art is health, that of shipbuilding a vessel, that of strategy victory, that of economics wealth. But where such arts fall under a single capacity as bridle-making and the other arts concerned with the equipment of horses fall under the art of riding, and this and every military action under strategy, in the same way, other arts fall under yet others in all of these the ends of the master arts are to be preferred to all the subordinate ends; for it is for the sake of the former than the latter are pursued. It makes no difference whether the activities themselves are the ends of the actions, or something else apart from the activities, as in the case of the sciences just mentioned” (Aristotle, & Ross, W. D. (2000). p.1). “What Aristotle develops here is not a subjective but an objective concept. There are more elements of this kind in his criticism of katapathos zên, of life according to the passions, and in the formulas katalogon zên(to live according to reason, or live reasonably) and orthoslogos (correct reason)” (Hoffe Otfried, 2010, p.5).
There is a passion that we seek after. This greater good is translated into something different for all of us. So, the purpose and the outcome is always aligned. One of the take away from this work is that there is always an underline motive, or desire, a passion that provides the happiness we seek in this life. So, while we seek to provide additional reasoning as to why we are engaged in this pursuit, we must ask the questions – what latter is acted upon by the subordinate in our quest to be leaders?
As leaders, the quest that we are on is really to seek the greater good of life. What does this greater good look like within your context?
Reference:
Aristotle. & Smith, J. A. & Chase, D. P. (1911). The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle. London; Dutton
Aristotle, & Ross, W. D. (2000). Nicomachean Ethics. Raleigh, N.C.: Generic NL Freebook Publisher.
Publication retrieved from http://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2956/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzEwODU4MjlfX0FO0?sid=8702ae03-108a-4063-ad42-85d5180ad0d6@pdc-v-sessmgr01&vid=1&format=EB&ppid=pp_COVER accessed October 13, 2018
Höffe, O. (2010). Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics.” Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill.
Publication retrieved from http://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2956/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzUwNjQyN19fQU41?sid=8702ae03-108a-4063-ad42-85d5180ad0d6@pdc-v-sessmgr01&vid=11&format=EB&rid=1 accessed October 12, 2018
October 13, 2018 @ 9:56 am
This is a great summary of a book that, I will admit, I was too intimidated to tackle when I saw it on the reading list. Thank you and well done!
You’ve got a great ability to distill lots of information down to a core idea and how you’ve highlighted that the “greater good” is both in the action and in the outcome is very helpful.
Learning to ask myself and those I lead, “What’s the purpose?” has helped evaluate outcomes as well as actions in our work. From meetings with staff to ideas for new events or programs, understanding the purpose helps us to achieve this greater good but in the current task in front of us and in the longer term outcome we are seeking together.
As far as your question, as a pastor this greater good can take on many descriptions. I have found it helpful to pray the Lord’s prayer for my work and for those I am leading. The reminder of “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” helps keeps that much greater good front and centre as we are doing our work together.
Response to jsonhealer – – Chris Vacher
October 24, 2018 @ 3:05 am
[…] Your post is a great summary of a book that, I will admit, I was too intimidated to tackle when I saw it on the reading list. Thank you and well done! […]
October 24, 2018 @ 12:33 pm
If you were to use the Rank-Talk-Write method, what would you say are 2-3 main points in this section of the book?
— Leadership Prof