Although Socrates left the world no written material explaining his philosophical thoughts, through the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and others we know that one of his most important postulates is “the unexamined life is not worth living.” In their writings, both Plato and Aristotle explore Socrates’ concepts of what exactly constitutes “the good life,” which led them to the study of virtue ethics. While Plato believes “wisdom” is the most significant virtue around which all other virtues unify, Aristotle disagrees. He opines that wisdom is virtuous, but does not unify all other virtues. In one of his most celebrated works, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle examines virtue ethics and analyzes the nature of a good life.
Aristotle argues that the ultimate aim of a human being is to attain happiness. What he means by happiness is more than pleasure. It is not a static state enjoyed by one fortunate enough to be living well, but requires some activity. In his view, happiness means...
(The entire section contains 4 answers and 1412 words.)
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Further Reading
Further Reading