University of Kansas, Fall 2002
Philosophy 672: History of Ethics
Ben Eggleston

Test—Aristotle

Please answer the following questions in the time allotted, without the use of books, notes, or other people. The last two questions are bonus questions, not among the questions given to you in advance.

  1. (20 points:) Why might a reader of Aristotle’s Ethics be disappointed if she approaches this work looking for an answer to the question of how to live morally? What question is Aristotle’s Ethics concerned with, if not the question of how to live morally? (Be sure to explain the distinction between the question of how to live morally and the question that Aristotle’s Ethics is concerned with.)
  2. (20 points:) One of the central concepts in Aristotle’s Ethics is often translated into English with the word ‘happiness’. What is the meaning of this concept, and how does it differ from what people ordinarily refer to in English with the word ‘happiness’? What are two of the four misconceptions about happiness (as he understands it) that Aristotle is concerned to correct?
  3. (10 points:) How does the cultivation of a virtue of character in a person depend on action and habit?
  4. (10 points:) How is being virtuous different from being good at a craft?
  5. (20 points:) Some people think that a moral theory is supposed to indicate what an agent’s duties are, given a non-moral specification of all of the facts of the situation that the agent is in. How might a person who thinks this think that Aristotle’s ethics is circular, and thus a failure; and what would Aristotle’s response to this objection be?
  6. (20 points:) Annas considers, and tries to minimize, five ways in which ancient ethics and modern moral philosophy are often regarded as fundamentally different. What are three of the first four of these five ways? (You don’t have to explain Annas’s position on the differences you mention. You just have to explain three of the first four of the differences that she is concerned with.)
  7. During what century did Aristotle live? (You will get 1 point if you answer this question correctly.)
  8. What sort of person do you think that Aristotle admired the most? You can give either a general description or, even better, refer to a particular individual (past or present) whom you think Aristotle would have held in high esteem. But if you refer to a particular person, indicate the qualities of that person that you think would have made Aristotle admire him or her. (You can get up to 4 points for answering this question.)