Aristotle’s theory

Based on my own experience, there is little question that someone who is self-indulgent, dishonest, greedy, and yet enjoys enormous pleasure and also seems to be quite happy fails to thrive. I used to work for a man who had these negative traits. This is a close partner of mine. However, knowing his past prevented me from ever allowing us to become friends. He appears to be quite content to the general public simply because he has a lovely home, cars, family, and owns a few local businesses. This man double crosses whomever he needs to in order to succeed behind closed doors. To be virtuous means a person possess admirable qualities and display a balanced and harmonious life (Mosser, 2014). He fails to be anything close to a morally upright person but remains ahead of everybody in the community. This individual is out for himself and cares less what he does as long as he is winning.

From having luncheons with this person and have one on one talks he is not as happy as the public thinks he is. His family has torn apart and always at each other’s neck. He is regularly paying out money due to different findings placed against him. My advice to him is that to do well, you must live well. In other words, do right and right will follow you. I affirm believer that you reap what you sow. the same money you make cheating people and slandering them, God will force you to spend it double elsewhere. He tries to keep up that perfect image for the public, but behind the scene, he is not flourishing at all (para. 24).

Reference:

Mosser, K. (2014). Understanding Philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Discussion 2:

Because virtual ethics focuses on the individual’s effort and virtues, I believe it is possible for one individual to flourish while the others around them are not. One person can choose to demonstrate the correct concentration of virtues while those around them continue to struggle. Then, because that person has reached eudaimonia, they can prove to their peers the proper balance or attributes (Mosser, 2014).

It will be a struggle to come to that point while surrounded by those who are not flourishing, but personal growth may be made individually. I have fought in groups who desired only to make the minimum effort to prosper, group projects in high school are an excellent example of this. But my desire is to do more. I am not content to steal other people’s work and repackage it as my own. I am not content to have others perform work that was assigned to me. I am not content to watch one classmate struggle without aiding them. I am not content to watch my group fail because of the misgivings of a few (para. 55)

There are limitations on individual’s rights, such as freedom of speech, to protect the group. One example of this is the right to assemble and protest. You are not authorized to protest abortions outside an abortion clinic where the patrons would be accosted with the signs, screams, and degradations. You cannot oppose a war at the tomb of a veteran. These are all ways in which our “rights” as individuals are limited to protect the masses. I believe these are to teach us the moderation which Aristotle speaks of. Without balance we cannot reach eudaimonia ourselves (Mosser, 2014).

Reference:

Mosser, K. (2014). Understanding Philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.