by Jennie Mc Donald

Created on: February 11, 2009

Modern societies today recognise the need for ethics and politics to run harmoniously together in order to create a good and just society. This article will exam the foundations of our ethics and politics as far back as ancient times, examining two Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. Comparisons and contrasts will be made between Aristotle's and Plato's ethics and politics. Subsequently, showing that for both philosophers ethics and politics go hand in hand; the doctrines they apply to their ethics are also applied to their political Ideal states. Aristotle's Doctrine of the Mean will be discussed, how he applies it to the good life, and later to his political state. Additionally, it will analysis his Nicomachean Ethics and Politics and his theory on Phronesis and Sophi. Briefly, it will look at Plato's Republic, Phaedrus and Meno and analogies he used to create an understanding of his theories. Throughout the piece views from such authors as Bertrand Russell, D.F. Allan, Desmond Lee and Joan Price will be shown.

For Aristotle, politics and ethics go hand in hand, the ultimate goal of human life is happiness (Eudaimonia), which both have the capabilities to produce. The happy life according to Aristotle is governed by reason. As human beings we have the capacity to think, unlike plants or animals. Aristotle divided the soul like Plato into three parts: the nutritive shared by plants, the sensitive shared by animals and the highest part reason, which is uniquely human. According to Aristotle, the rational part follows certain principles so as humans we must follow these. However, humans also possess the nutritive and sensitive parts of the soul. It is the irrational versus the rational parts of the soul which raises the problem of morality. According to Aristotle, moral choices involve action, so to achieve human happiness our activity must be rational and virtuous, "The good, we are told, is happiness, which is an activity of the soul".[1]

He divided human virtue or excellence into two parts; moral and intellectual. Moral virtue reflects one's character, which has been formed through their repeated choices (habits). Moral virtues are subjected to the Doctrine of the Mean, whereas, intellectual virtues are not. The mean is the balance between two undesirable extremes; for example, courage is the mean between cowardice and rashness. To be rash, can be foolish just as cowardice is shameful. To live by the Doctrine of the Mean is to live by the reason, which

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