Book Review: Aristotle — Ethics

This was a very wholesome read. I actually went through it very quickly and skimmed certain parts. It is a very straightforward discussion of classical virtue. Aristotle discusses a number of subjects such as justice, vice, courage, self-restraint, and honor. He spends a lot of time defining things. This is where I found myself dog-earing pages from time to time. With Aristotle you get some of the clearest logical thinking ever written down. What really amazed me is the humility and depth of reasoning. Even lacking 24 centuries of historical and technological progress Aristotle demonstrated an intuitive understanding of the limits of human rationality.

Implicit in his analysis is a recognition of biology — of the fact that men are endowed with differing natures and proclivities and justice demands that we have at least some cognizance of this fact. It is ironic the degree to which the Enlightenment thinkers, supposedly reviving the classical tradition, seem to have glossed over this fact. Would that modern liberals rediscover both Aristotle’s love for reason and his humility regarding its limits. Overall, Ethics is a handy read to go through in small spurts. It’s good for your brain.

Grade: B