Reading Questions

W 22 Sep
Aristotle, Ethics, I–III.5, V (pp.
1–63, 106–36)

1)  Definitions

What is happiness? How does Aristotle arrive at the definition? What does happiness have to do with politics? What are the two types of virtue? What is virtue?

2)  Concepts

What is the role of the following concepts in Aristotle's argument: end (telos), action, mean, choice?

3)  Method

How does Aristotle construct his arguments? How does this compare to Socrates (Republic I)? To Plato (Republic II–X)? Why does some opinion have to be correct (I.8)?

4)  Justice

What is justice? What are the types (parts?) of justice? How does distributive justice function? What does all of this have to do with ethics? What would Plato have said about Book V, had he had the opportunity to read it? What would Thrasymachus have said?