Status Updates From The Morality of Happiness

Good intro, remembering my beloved Aristotle

We find two theories each of which develops one aspect of common sense to the point that it conflicts with other aspects, as well as with the rival theory. This is a pattern which we shall find again; ancient ethics of virtue, although paying respectful attention to our beliefs and their practical consequences, does not and cannot canonize common sense, since on some points common sense is divided against itself.

Brilliant. Annas proves what I've long suspected, 'happiness' is just a handy term, and any term will do that bookmarks the final end in Greek Phil. A rhetoric trick, a 'natural' human thought pattern. Any final end can be compared with any other. Watch out Dharma and De. Pirsig would be proud.

I've only read the introduction so far but I find Annas' project extremely interesting. The book is about exploring virtue ethics (Aristotelian but also Sceptic, Stoic, and Peripatitic) with a view to juxtaposing it to modern theories, deontology and consequentialism. Annas does not believe that ancient ethics can supplant modern ethics completely, however there's still value in looking at how the ancients viewed...