The Daily Stoic

Edith Hall on Aristotelian Ethics, Intention, and Human Decency

36 snips
Apr 5, 2023
Edith Hall, a renowned scholar of ancient Greek literature and philosophy, discusses how Aristotle's teachings can enhance modern life. She emphasizes the importance of pursuing what you excel at for the greater good while critiquing contemporary misunderstandings of Aristotle's views on human nature. Hall shares her personal journey from strict faith to embracing Aristotelian ethics, exploring community, cooperation, and true happiness as interconnected. Her insights highlight the significance of intention and moral character in navigating life's challenges.
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ANECDOTE

Hall's Aristotelian Journey

  • Edith Hall found Aristotle's ethics appealing while searching for secular guidance during her time at Oxford.
  • Her introduction to Aristotle was through Greek tragedy, leading her to his Nicomachean Ethics.
INSIGHT

Aristotle's Bottom-Up Ethics

  • Unlike Plato's top-down approach, Aristotle's ethics begins with the individual, recognizing humans as animals with unique capacities.
  • These capacities include deliberation, disciplined recollection, and humor, setting us apart while embracing our animal nature.
INSIGHT

Human Potential (*Dunamis*)

  • Aristotle believed in dunamis, the individual potential within each person, much like an acorn's potential to become an oak.
  • Identifying and fulfilling this potential, often linked to pleasure and enjoyment, is key to happiness.
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