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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page essay that argues that Aristotle and Alexis de Tocqueville express similar perspectives relative to the importance of civic virtue and responsibility of the state in regards to the virtue of its citizenry. An examination of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and Tocqueville's Democracy in America demonstrates that the state has a vested interest in the virtue of its citizenry, as democracy is predicated on the foundation provided by an informed citizenry. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_kharitoc.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
importance of civic virtue and responsibility of the state in regards to the virtue of its citizenry. An examination of Aristotles Nichomachean Ethics and Tocquevilles Democracy in America demonstrates that
the state has a vested interest in the virtue of its citizenry, as democracy is predicated on the foundation provided by an informed citizenry. Aristotle Aristotle reminds his readers that
it is the state that decides what "each class of citizens should learn and up to what point they should learn them."1 Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics contain several major motivating concepts.
First of all, though this work Aristotle endeavored to give a reflective comprehension of what it means to have well-being or a good life. Secondly, his Ethics suggests that well-being
can be found in excellent activity, such as contemplation and "virtuous actions," which stem from a virtuous character.2 Aristotle observed that many people consider "happiness," which is equates with virtue,
to consist of some "plain and obvious thing," such as "pleasure, wealth or honor."3 However, he wrote that reason surpasses everything else, "it is by this that he surpasses and
rules all other forms of life; and as the growth of this faculty has given him his supremacy, so, we may presume its development will give him fulfillment and happiness."4
Virtuous action was defined by Aristotle as what a person with practical wisdom would choose. 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. The good man, the ethical man, lives his life according to the golden mean and does not
go to extremes in action but rather balances one extreme over another. It was through this sort of life that Aristotle imagined that one could realize their own nature to
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