Scan barcode
A review by caris96
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
1.0
This review comes after my reading of both the Ethics and the Metaphysics. I can’t see myself reading any more of Aristotle for quite some time, for reasons that will become apparent. My review also comes after having read Plato’s Republic and some of the modern philosophy that heavily draws on Aristotelian thought. And, well, this is one of the most forgettable and mediocre works I’ve ever read.
My philosophical background is a bit unconventional. I was introduced to philosophy through post-structuralism, as it’s relevant in the social sciences. Aside from the odd summary of the history of philosophical ideas, I kind of dove into the deep end (and sank) with the likes of Foucault and Sartre. I also read a lot of Nietzsche, which paired nicely with my prior experience in Christian theology. But after reading through these initial thinkers, focussing solely on what caught my interest, I started to engage more broadly with the subject. This is to say, I am absolutely biased.
Aristotle appears on nearly every list of recommended philosophy books, and I can’t quite put my finger on why; but given that he’s found so many loyal proponents among white men, I would guess it has something to do with ancient Greece’s exaltation of individualism and essentialism in things like passions and morals.
I’ve always been opposed to the idea that a thinker’s influence alone should warrant praise in itself. The fact that a bad idea is influential only demonstrates how many people are susceptible to bad ideas (it’s not surprising Christian theology is often built on Aristotelian thought). In the case of Aristotle, I don’t mean ‘bad’ as a moral judgement—I mean this work is simply… useless? Boring? It’s almost as though it was simply such a default, “common-sensical” system of thought that it’s completely unsurprising that it was so foundational for later philosophy (e.g., forms and essences, causes and effects, etc.).
This isn’t to say that my lack of appreciation is Aristotle’s fault, or that of any ancient system for that matter. In the history of ideas, I would expect someone to engage with any metaphysics at some point; and this was a point in our species’ intellectual journey. It might be tempting to say that we’ve moved on from these ideas but we’re here today because of them. And that would be meaningful, if people didn’t actually still think in Aristotelian metaphysics or politics.
My philosophical background is a bit unconventional. I was introduced to philosophy through post-structuralism, as it’s relevant in the social sciences. Aside from the odd summary of the history of philosophical ideas, I kind of dove into the deep end (and sank) with the likes of Foucault and Sartre. I also read a lot of Nietzsche, which paired nicely with my prior experience in Christian theology. But after reading through these initial thinkers, focussing solely on what caught my interest, I started to engage more broadly with the subject. This is to say, I am absolutely biased.
Aristotle appears on nearly every list of recommended philosophy books, and I can’t quite put my finger on why; but given that he’s found so many loyal proponents among white men, I would guess it has something to do with ancient Greece’s exaltation of individualism and essentialism in things like passions and morals.
I’ve always been opposed to the idea that a thinker’s influence alone should warrant praise in itself. The fact that a bad idea is influential only demonstrates how many people are susceptible to bad ideas (it’s not surprising Christian theology is often built on Aristotelian thought). In the case of Aristotle, I don’t mean ‘bad’ as a moral judgement—I mean this work is simply… useless? Boring? It’s almost as though it was simply such a default, “common-sensical” system of thought that it’s completely unsurprising that it was so foundational for later philosophy (e.g., forms and essences, causes and effects, etc.).
This isn’t to say that my lack of appreciation is Aristotle’s fault, or that of any ancient system for that matter. In the history of ideas, I would expect someone to engage with any metaphysics at some point; and this was a point in our species’ intellectual journey. It might be tempting to say that we’ve moved on from these ideas but we’re here today because of them. And that would be meaningful, if people didn’t actually still think in Aristotelian metaphysics or politics.