Schedule and Study Questions for Feb. 25 – March 1

Monday, Feb. 25 – Nichomachean Ethics, Book VI, especially Chapters 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 13; Norman, Chapter, 3

Wednesday, Feb. 27 - Nichomachean Ethics, Book VIII, just Chapters 1-4; Book IX, Chapters 3, 4, and 9, Book X, Chapters 3 and 6-8.

Friday, March 1 – Norman, Chapter 4

Some questions to think about:

Book VI

1. What do you think Aristotle means by “correct desire”? (Chapter 2)
2. How does Aristotle define prudence (phronesis, practical wisdom)? (Chapter 5)
3. How is prudence about particulars? What’s the point of the example about different kinds of meat? (Chapter 7)
4. How does Aristotle distinguish deliberation which is ‘good without qualification’ for deliberation which is only ‘good to an extent’? (Chapter 9)
5. In what way must one have all the virtues to have any of them fully? (Chapter 13)

Book VIII and IX

1. What are the three types of friendship, which is best and why? (VIII, 1-4)
2. When should you break off a friendship? (IX, 3)
3. Why does Aristotle think we need friends? (IX, 9)

Book X

1. Why is pleasure not the only or the best good thing? (Chapter 3)
2. Why is amusement not the road to happiness? (Chapter 6)
3. Why is a life of theoretical study the best life after all? (Chapters 7 and 8)

Finally: What is valuable in Aristotle’s work on ethics? What is problematic or unacceptable?