Programm

Aristotle's vice theory: dianoetical vice in the Nicomachean Ethics, VI. 5

Marc Zapata

Universidad de Barcelona, Spanien

The theory of vice within Aristotelian thought, especially concerning dianoetical vices in the Nicomachean Ethics (NE), has been a topic that, until recently, has received less attention than its counterpart in ethical virtues. Studies by Robson (2024) and Nielsen (2017) reflect the widespread view that Aristotle does not explicitly address the concept of vice in a systematic manner. Robson observes, “The great variety of moral vices is a puzzling phenomenon that continues to stand in need of explanation” (2024, p. 1). Similarly, Nielsen notes, “It is often noted that Aristotle’s remarks about vice in the Nicomachean Ethics seem unsystematic and unlikely to add up a unified picture” (2017, p. 1); “Strikingly, Aristotle never develops an account of vices of thought in Nicomachean Ethics 6” (2017, p. 24).

This communication focuses particularly on the notion that Aristotle does not develop a theory of vice concerning dianoetical virtues. We aim to address this exegetical gap by reconstructing, as much as possible, Aristotle’s theory of dianoetical vice. For this purpose, we will use Chapter VI, 5 of the Nicomachean Ethics as our starting point, with a particular focus on the following passage: “a person corrupted by pleasure or pain loses clear sight of the principle and no longer sees the necessity of choosing everything with reference to that end or because of it: vice destroys the principle (ἡ κακία φθαρτικὴ ἀρχῆς)” (1140b 20-25).

We will seek to explore what it means to “destroy the principle”, which faculties of the soul it affects, and, more generally, to what extent pleasure and pain may impact the cognitive faculties of human beings. In this way, we intend to examine this often-neglected aspect of Aristotelian philosophy: while there is certainly an epistemic and ontological foundation to ethics in Aristotle, there is also a significant role of ethics and character formation in shaping one’s perception of the world and various phenomena. We hope to clarify this point, which we consider important regarding the relationship between theory and practice in the history of philosophy.

With this aim, the structure we will follow is as follows: first, an overview of the current landscape surrounding vice theory will be provided, with an emphasis on academic works dedicated to Aristotelian philosophy; second, Aristotle’s theory of dianoetical vice in the Nicomachean Ethics will be presented; and third, a concise conclusion will be offered.