Richard Kraut

The Greek noun for which “virtue” and “excellence” are often used as translations—aretê —is cognate to the name of the god of war, Ares and, centuries prior to Aristotle, designated the manliness or valor of a warrior. But by the fifth and fourth centuries BC, it had acquired a much wider connotation and extension. Aristotle insists that there is one virtue of thought—the one he calls phronêsis —which is intimately tied to the virtues of character: One cannot have any of those ethical virtues without having phronêsis; and one cannot have phronêsis unless one also has those ethical virtues. This article discusses Aristotle's views on becoming good, focusing on habituation, reflection, and perception, and also examines virtues of character and virtues of thought, Socratic intellectualism, cleverness, the stages of ethical development, and mid-level goals.

Aristotle's _Politics_ is widely recognized as one of the classics of the history of political philosophy, and like every other such masterpiece, it is a work about which there is deep division. Many readers of Aristotle are uncertain whether his _Politics_ has any contribution to make to contemporary debates about political life and political theory. The essays in this volume aim to address, implicitly or explicitly, this very question about the relevance of Arisotle's thinking in contemporary political philosophy. Written by leading scholars in lucid and accessible style, the nine essays in this volume will be a critical resource for newcomers to Aristotle.

Aristotle conceives of ethical theory as a field distinct from the theoretical sciences. Its methodology must match its subject matter—good action—and must respect the fact that in this field many generalizations hold only for the most part. We study ethics in order to improve our lives, and therefore its principal concern is the nature of human well-being. Aristotle follows Socrates and Plato in taking the virtues to be central to a well-lived life. Like Plato, he regards the ethical virtues (justice, courage, temperance and so on) as complex rational, emotional and social skills. But he rejects Plato's idea that a training in the sciences and metaphysics is a necessary prerequisite for a full understanding of our good. What we need, in order to live well, is a proper appreciation of the way in which such goods as friendship, pleasure, virtue, honor and wealth fit together as a whole. In order to apply that general understanding to particular cases, we must acquire, through proper upbringing and habits, the ability to see, on each occasion, which course of action is best supported by reasons. Therefore practical wisdom, as he conceives it, cannot be acquired solely by learning general rules. We must also acquire, through practice, those deliberative, emotional, and social skills that enable us to put our general understanding of well-being into practice in ways that are suitable to each occasion

This volume contains a clear and accurate translation of the last two books of Aristotle's Politics, together with a philosophical commentary. It is well suited to the requirements of students, including those who do not know Greek. The Politics is a key document in Western political thought; it raises and discusses many theoretical and practical political issues which are still debated today. In Books VII and VIII Aristotle gives his fullest picture of the ideal civic community, as a model for actual political systems.