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A 3 page essay/research paper that contrasts Aristotle's ethics against those of Augustine. Contrasting with these two extremes, contemporary philosopher William Frankena has sought to bring secular and religious moral philosophy into constructive engagement. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khariaug.rtf
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a secular approach to ethics that looks to reason rather than divine revelation as the basis for virtue. Augustine, on the other hand, is exemplary of those theologians who have
based their conceptualization of morality on religious principles and traditional dogma. Contrasting with these two extremes, contemporary philosopher William Frankena has sought to bring secular and religious moral philosophy
into constructive engagement (Darwall, 1997). Aristotle believed that everything in the universe exists in order to realize its fullest potential. Since humanitys ability to reason is its most distinctive
feature, Aristotle asserted that it was logical to assume that the fullest realization of the human race, and therefore its greatest happiness, lay in the development of the intellect (Frost,
1962). Aristotle connected this concept with his ethical code, which was actually quite simple. He pointed out that human beings do not naturally strive to achieve goodness, but rather
seek to obtain happiness (Durant, 1960). However, Aristotle also noted that the perception of what causes happiness tends to vary. Therefore, he grounded his ideas of concerning the ultimate fulfilling
life in his perception of reason as being central to this goal. As this demonstrates, Aristotle does not refer to any sort of divine revelation regarding what does or does
not make up an ethical life. Rather, he based his ideas on his own ideas concerning reason, but he did so within the context of his own traditions and culture.
The ancient Greeks felt that pleasure should be tempered. In other words, the Greeks advocated that nothing should be done to excess. This "golden mean" plays an integral role
in Aristotles ethics. The golden mean, as defined by Aristotle, is the middle road between extremes. For instance, courage is the "mean" between being a coward and taking foolhardy risks
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