Aristotle and "The Good"

Aristotle, a strong figure in the development of Catholic ethical theory, describes "the good" in a number of ways. His teleological ethics were comprised of three key points. These three points include and are not limited to his view that happiness is found within community, that rationalism is an important part of ethics, and his thoughts that all things should be taken in moderation.

Firstly, Aristotle firmly believed that happiness should be found in community, or the polis. Anyone isolated, or outside of this polis, was thought to be "either a beast or a god." Aristotle's ethics are based around the thought that human life is shaped to its full extent when in the context of a community. He usually thought that the good was centered around happiness, and this could only develop when you're an active citizen in your community.

In another way, Aristotle also thought that rationalism is important to ethics. He expressed feelings that above all else, humans were intended to be rational. He thought that our greatest capacity as humans is our intelligence. As it says in the textbook, In Search of the Good, "...Following our internal compass means developing this capacity, not only in matters of science, but also in practical life - in developing our individual character. Humans are rational animals, and we must base our actions, as much as possible, on reasoning." According to Aristotle, to act ethically, is to engage our capacity to reason as we develop good character.

Lastly, Aristotle thought that with his ethics, all things should be taken in moderation. He believed that too much of something was not good, that things can be destroyed by defect and excess. Moderation applies to all areas of ethical life: to self-control, courage, etc.

These are the reasons on how Aristotle describes "the good" and his ethics.