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Table of The Principal Virtue and Vices

This document discusses Aristotle's concepts of virtues and vices. Aristotle believed that morality involves regularly engaging in right actions, which shapes one's character. He identified virtues as excelling in fulfilling one's purpose or nature. The principal virtues and their opposing vices guide one's character development - for example, rashness can become courage but courage can also become cowardice if taken to an extreme. The document provides a personal anecdote where the author's past rash and impulsive words during a school trip resulted in guilt and shame, demonstrating how actions can lead to either virtues or vices.

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MARY SHANE COLIFLORES
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94 views2 pages

Table of The Principal Virtue and Vices

This document discusses Aristotle's concepts of virtues and vices. Aristotle believed that morality involves regularly engaging in right actions, which shapes one's character. He identified virtues as excelling in fulfilling one's purpose or nature. The principal virtues and their opposing vices guide one's character development - for example, rashness can become courage but courage can also become cowardice if taken to an extreme. The document provides a personal anecdote where the author's past rash and impulsive words during a school trip resulted in guilt and shame, demonstrating how actions can lead to either virtues or vices.

Uploaded by

MARY SHANE COLIFLORES
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Principal virtues and vices

People are often most remembered by their most significant character traits. These
traits are product of a consistent display of a particular behavior. A person is defined by
what he/she does and how he/she live his/her life.

According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle believes that morality is more than just
knowing what is right; it also involves doing it or engaging in it regularly. We don't just
become what we know; we also become what we do. His morality is based on the
development of one's character, which is a method of being and living in line with the
right aim of the human being. He thinks that everything else serves a purpose and has
an end. He thinks that people have such a purpose as well. According to Aristotle,
happiness is a spiritual activity. According to him, the soul is the aspect of a person that
gives life to the body elucidating his ethics. That's how he came up with the table of
virtues and vices.

Arête, which meaning excellence in Greek, is the word for virtue. The Greeks defined
excellence as how well something performs its function in line with its nature. To
demonstrate one's ability to fulfill one's nature or purpose in such a way that one's
potentiality as a particular being may be considered to have been actualized in the most
ideal way is to be virtuous, in other words.

The table of principal virtue and vices is there as a guide to what means would result to
an end, the cause and effect in one’s character. The same way as rashness could
become courage, courage on the other hand could also end up becoming cowardice.

I had an experience once, the kind where if I could go back in time I will definitely lock
myself up in a room and throw the keys somewhere the light won’t illuminate upon. I
was a rather bashful child. Carefree, did not think of much of her actions and words, she
does whatever she wants in her own naivety. I was rather rash and impulsive. One time,
we had a mountain climbing exercise as a class. Due to my insensitivity, I spat out
words I should not have at that moment. Not only did I offend my classmates and peers,
but also my teacher adviser. It was awkward, the guilt was painful, if only I knew when
to shut up back then I’d be grateful for it now. The unfortunate thing is I did not realize
what I have done yet, and just started to walk away. Once we got to the top of the
mountain, I just realized then what I said and was too ashamed to say anything after.

We are dutifully responsible for our actions; the outcome could either become a vice or
a virtue depending on the situation and depending on what you have done in that
moment. As for me, the regret still lingers— but I have learned from that.

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