I argue that Aristotle aids in understanding the tension between the political art and moral virtue through his examination of courage in The Nicomachean Ethics. The end of the political art is to habituate the city and citizens towards "the good." Aristotle examines five held opinions of non-courage, requiring that we reflect on our own vices. I describe how Aristotle prepares his readers for the task of examining the political art. I then view courage found in the citizen and spiritedness as an example of two common opinions where individuals are inclined towards pleasure, as opposed to being inclined to the noble. To conclude, I show that Aristotle provides opinions of non-courage to emphasize how institutions are, and must remain, a foundational part of society.

This essay is a critical interpretation of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, as it attempts to reconcile the tension between moral virtue and intellectual virtue, the two virtues which Aristotle deems characteristic of man. This paper looks to include both moral and intellectual virtue in Aristotle’s conception of the happy life, through the summarization and analyzation of David Keyt, J.L Ackrill, John Cooper and Daniel Devereux’s modern interpretations of the ethics.

Submitted by ELOI MAIA DE OLIVEIRA null (eloimaia@gmail.com) on 2017-12-21T12:13:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mestrado FINAL.pdf: 784513 bytes, checksum: 4264835fa91e144d356263d15d94c980 (MD5) / Submitted by ELOI MAIA DE OLIVEIRA null (eloimaia@gmail.com) on 2017-12-21T12:31:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mestrado FINAL.pdf: 784513 bytes, checksum: 4264835fa91e144d356263d15d94c980 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Telma Jaqueline Dias Silveira null (telmasbl@marilia.unesp.br) on 2018-01-03T14:24:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_em_me_mar.pdf: 784513 bytes, checksum: 4264835fa91e144d356263d15d94c980 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-03T14:24:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_em_me_mar.pdf: 784513 bytes, checksum: 4264835fa91e144d356263d15d94c980 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-31 / Não recebi financiamento / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo geral analisar o conjunto de questões da Suma de teologia que concernem ao tratamento da prudência, recorrendo quando necessário a outros textos de Tomás de Aquino. Nosso objetivo específico é desenvolver uma investigação que envolve a filosofa moral de Tomás e, para isso, será necessário entendermos a o papel da alma humana e suas ações. A noção de hábito e, consequentemente, a noção de virtude e suas distinções perpassarão nosso trabalho a fim de nos determos em particular da virtude da prudência considerada em si mesma e suas partes. Nossa linha de trabalho será a de compreender o papel da prudência na ação moral do agente, de acordo com Tomás, e como tal virtude beneficia determinada ação, dispondo dos meios necessários para a realização do bem moral em consonância com as demais virtudes cardeais e intelectuais. / The present work has as main objective to analyze the set of questions of the Summa theologiae that concern the treatment of prudence, relying on other Aquinas’ texts when needed. Our specific objective is to develop an investigation that involves the moral philosophy of Aquinas and, therefore, it will be necessary to understand the role of the human soul and its actions. The notion of habit and consequently the notion of virtue and its distinctions will run through our work in order to dwell particularly on the virtue of prudence considered in itself and its parts. Our working line will be to understand the role of prudence in the moral action of the agent according to Aquinas, and how such virtue benefits a certain action having the necessary means for the fulfillment of moral good in consonance with other cardinal and intellectual virtues.