Thursday, February 16, 2006

Aristotle's Character Types

Virtuous
Lisa, happily return the lost wallet to owner

continent
Lenny, returned the wallet, but fighting the temptation

incontinent
Bart, keep the wallet, knowing it is wrong, but can't resist the temptation

Vicious
Nelson, keep the wallet, happily gloating the owner.

Aristotle's condition for right action:
1. must know he is doing virtuous actions,
2. must decide on them, and decide on them for themselves
3. must do them from a firm and unchanging character

Why do we like Homer?

Maybe because his doing what we want to but dare not to do: not to be right, or virtuous, just be yourself, even it's obnoxious and annoying to the others. And his inability to control himself makes him not responsible for his wrong doings, and thus makes him not or less vicious, which we morally object.

Does this mean we, our society, are trying to redefine what is 'right', or 'good', or 'virtuous'? Is this a trend to selfishness? Will there be a day that helping others are morally wrong? Just like today we all make fun of Ned Flanders?

Probably all these don't matter, a happy person is a person who blended into the majority, who does not think to much, who make fun of anyone that is different from the majority.

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