Aristotle and Locke

The authenticity and practicality of Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean is yet to be clarified. He suggested that virtue is intermediate, such that when something is over or underdone, then virtue lacks. For example, he said that temperance is a virtue; a mean state of physical pleasure while licentiousness is a vice; excessive yearning for physical pleasure. Also, too much anger is a vice while too little anger is insensible. Virtue relating to anger is good-temper. Therefore virtue comes as a mean of states. A personal example is the virtue of truth. Too much truth shows tactlessness while too little truth is a vice of lying.

The doctrine of the mean cannot be applied in real life moral decision making process. Aristotle’s principles of ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ are baseless and not quantifiable. His insistence on right people, right time and way just show how complicated things can get. He also does not give a limit of how or often a person should get angry in order to merit as a virtue. Therefore, I would prefer to use my conscience in making decisions since the conscience too can differentiate virtues from vices.

Aristotle justified slavery but with good intentions. That there are natural slaves, legal slaves and non-slaves. Natural slaves are ruled by the non-slaves. Since they lack virtue, they need masters to help them run their lives, including using them. To him, legal slaves deserve to be free. To him however, physical slavery is better than moral or spiritual slavery (Garnsey & Peter 239-240).

John Locke did not support slavery of the 17 Century. Locke observed that slavery took away innocent people’s freedom. He argued that slavery should only be used as a form of punishment for law-breakers. He justified the rebellion of slaves in demand for their freedom (Locke 667-684).

Aristotle and Locke talked of different kinds of slaveries. If slavery is good according to Aristotle, then from Locke’s perspective it appears that Aristotle had no value for human freedom. The natural slaves in Aristotle’s view were born in that state and did not commit any crime to make them slaves. Therefore, from Locke’s point of view, it would also mean that Aristotle was okay with the imposition of slavery on innocent souls.

In conclusion, these two philosophers made a significant contribution to virtue ethics. Their work has however been criticized but they give us a base for expanding our thoughts and forming new ideas today.

Works cited

Garnsey, Peter. Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine. Cambridge [England: Cambridge

University Press, 1996. Print.

Locke John. Locke John: Critical Assessments, Vol 1. Routledge, 1991.