From Natural Character to Moral Virtue in Aristotle

Abstract

This book discusses Aristotle’s biological views about character and the importance of what he calls “natural character traits” for the development of moral virtue as presented in his ethical treatises. It provides a new, comprehensive account of the physiological underpinnings of moral development and thereby shows, first, that Aristotle’s ethical theories do not exhaust his views about character, as has traditionally been assumed, and, second, that his treatment of natural character in the biological treatises provides the conceptual and ideological foundation for his views about habituation as developed in his ethics. This manuscript thus takes seriously Aristotle’s claim—often ignored—that nature is one of the factors through which men become “good and capable of fine deeds.” Part I (“The Physiology and Science of Natural Character”) analyzes, in three chapters, Aristotle’s notion of natural character as it is developed in the biological treatises and its role in moral development, especially as it affects women and certain “barbarians”—groups who are typically left out of accounts of Aristotle’s ethics. I also discuss its relevance for our understanding of physiognomical ideas in Aristotle. Part II (“The Physiology of Moral Development”) explores the psychophysical changes in body and soul that one is required to undergo in the process of acquiring moral virtues. It includes a discussion of Aristotle’s eugenic views, his identification of habituation as a form of human perfection, and his claims about the moral deficiencies of women that link them to his beliefs about their biological imperfections.

The Moral Irrelevance of Constitutive Luck

“…5 (Aristotle (Ross & Brown trans.) 2009;Nussbaum 1986;Slote 1992;Leunissen 2017). Williams himself alluded to this ancient line of thought: "[W]hile the good man, the sage, was immune to the impact of [resultant] luck, it was a matter of what may be called constitutive luck that one was a sage, or capable of becoming one."…”

The Medieval Islamic Commentary on Plato’s Republic: Ibn Rushd’s Perspective on the Position and Potential of Women

“…Cf. e.g., Horowitz, 1976;Mayhew, 2004;Fortenbaugh, 2006;Stauffer, 2008;Connell, 2016;Leunissen, 2017;Melkebeek, 2016Melkebeek, , 2020 Bauer points out that there probably was more room for discussion in philosophical texts, as opposed to juridical works that deal with the subject of women (Bauer, 2010, p. 10). Ibn Rushd seems to seize this opportunity for debate with both hands.…”

Enmattered Virtues

“…3 In this paper, I leave this question on the metaphysical status of the virtues (and of the emotions) open. My purpose is to show that the virtues require a hylomorphic analysis because their existence and explanation 1 As it will become clear in what follows, my work on the material aspect of the virtues is indebted to Mariska Leunissen's, especially in (Leunissen 2012;Leunissen 2015b;Leunissen 2016;Leunissen 2017). 2 The virtues are states (hexeis) at NE 1096a25 and they are treated as properties that belong to the compound of body and soul at NE 1178a14-23.…”