Topic 4- The GREEKS: VIRTUE and happiness in the polis

• The Greek Polis - Essentials

  •  Highest form of association 
  • Comprehensive (all of life) 
  • Participatory 
  • Serves individual happiness
• The Greek Polis: Plato's Republic, Justice


   - A society ”in fever” 

  • Diversity of occupations 
  • Justice: each does his job
• The Greek Polis: Plato's Republic, 3 Classes

  •  Guardians – leadership 
  • Soldiers – defense/enforcement 
  • Workers – productive class (makers of things)
• Polis

  • Serves happiness of polis, requires virtue of citizens

  Self

  • Seeks happiness in polis
  • Requires virtue to be happy
• Greek Happiness: Defined

  •  Eudaimonia 
  • Our highest attainable good 
  • To “Live Well” or “Do Well”
• Greek Happiness: Aristotle's Happiness

  •  He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life. - Nicomachean Ethics
• Path of Virtue: Virtue Defined

  • A habit of excellence in one area of action
  • ­Intellectual virtues (intellect)­ and Moral virtues (character)

  Why most important?

  •  Most stable element in happiness exercise reason and obey it
  • Best chance of happiness for largest number 
  • Fulfills the “function of man”­
  • To live according to reason (human distinctive)­
  • To exercise reason and obey it
• Path of Virtue - Virtue's essential elements

  •  Voluntary 
  • Deliberative – result of reasoning 
  • Aspirational - aims for “the fine” (kalos)
  • Habitual 
  • Moderate