Aristotle on Thought and Feeling

FAIN: FEL-257206-18

Paula L. Gottlieb
University of Wisconsin, Madison (Madison, WI 53715-1218)

A book-length study on Aristotle's ethics.

Aristotle’s discussion of the motivation of the good person is both complicated and cryptic. Depending on which passages are emphasized, Aristotle may seem to be presenting a Kantian style view according to which the good person is and ought to be motivated primarily by reason, or a Humean style view according to which desires and feelings are or ought to be in charge. I argue that Aristotle thinks that the thought, desires and feelings of the good person are integrated in a way that is sui generis, and I explain what that is, discussing Aristotle’s view of the psyche, feelings, moral education, prohairesis (choice) and the obscure motivator, the fine, which I take to involve a musical metaphor. I also discuss how disintegration is possible for those who are not good, and how akrasia, acting voluntarily against one’s better judgment, is an ethical phenomenon, not just a problem in the philosophy of action, contrary to the views of modern philosophers.

Associated Products

Aristotle, to kalon, and music (Article)
Title: Aristotle, to kalon, and music
Author: Paula Gottlieb
Abstract: In Aristotle’s ethical works, virtue of character and happiness are kalon, and, according to Aristotle the good person, who acts and feels correctly, does so for the sake of to kalon. While to kalon clearly means “the beautiful” in certain other contexts, there is a major debate in Aristotelian scholarship about whether to kalon has an aesthetic aspect in Aristotle’s ethics. Discussion ranges over the use of “to kalon” in Aristotle’s metaphysical and biological works as well as in his ethical works. I first briefly discuss some aesthetic ideas in Aristotle’s metaphysics, biology and Poetics, showing how they carry over into Aristotle’s ethics. I then argue that there is an important musical aspect to to kalon. The good person has a "musical" soul.
Year: 2019
Publisher: Fonte Aretusa

Aristotle on Thought and Feeling (Book)
Title: Aristotle on Thought and Feeling
Author: Paula Gottlieb
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/aristotle-on-thought-and-feeling/BEF0779E18B171DF62332156FC97FE49
Primary URL Description: Publisher website
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Type: Single author monograph
ISBN: 9781107323544

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