IS A PERSON VIRTUOUS IF SHE ALWAYS AIMS TO ACT
ACCORDING TO THE GOLDEN MEAN?--
Virtue can be interpreted in many different ways. Regardless of the
interpretation we can say that virtue is the foundation of humankind. Keeping moral
experience in mind virtue helps establish a standard by which we judge and correct our own
character and behaviors. Every single virtue depends on a person's life style and the culture
they are a part of. Because we all have different beliefs of what is good or bad, our virtues or
standards are different from one another. For example, a citizen of the ancient Greek city of
Sparta would have virtues based on military values. This method of establishing virtues is
feeble because it is strict and harsh, while most virtuous life styles consist of a Golden Mean
style by Aristotle. Golden Mean advocates the idea that good conduct should consist of
some sort of mean between the borderlines of excess and de?ciency. I agree with Aristotle
that there is no precise equation or set of rules by which we can determine exactly where
the mean lies, and this is because the mean varies from person to person; therefore, how can
we say a person is virtuous if the Golden Mean itself is a moving target?
According to Aristotle, a person is not virtuous if he focuses on his own happiness or
pleasure, nor if he follows the same rules and orders as everyone else. (Ethics) A person is
virtuous if he acts wisely and justly. The goal of a virtuous person is always to promote
human ?ourishing. To be speci?c, a virtuous person is not someone who practices one act
but rather someone who develops the action into a habit. A virtuous person does not have
to think ab ...