Aristotle: From Logic to Life — Season 1, Episode 4: Aristotle's Ethics
Documentary, Talk • 61 min • 1 season, 8 episodes
Episode synopsis
In lecture four, we study Aristotle's ethics, focusing on his concept of eudaimonia (human flourishing) as the highest good, achieved through the activity of the soul in accordance with reason and virtue. We examine his doctrine of the mean, where virtues represent a balance between extremes, his emphasis on character formation through habituation, and the central importance of friendship in the good life. The lecture also addresses contemporary situationist critiques of virtue ethics, which challenge the stability of character traits, while defending Aristotle's view that moral excellence develops over time through practice and exemplary models.
About Aristotle: From Logic to Life
In Aristotle: From Logic to Life, an eight-hour course, Dr. Orr explores Aristotle's comprehensive philosophical system, tracing his life, empirical methodology, and key contributions to logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and poetics. We examine his theories of substance, causation, virtue ethics, eudaimonia (human thriving), political life, and his analysis of tragedy and catharsis. The course follows his impact from medieval rediscovery and tensions with monotheism to contemporary revivals, showing why Aristotle remains a vital guide for modern philosophy.