Free Example of Morality Essay

According to Aristotle (350 BC), morality contributes to successful life or happiness. He believes human beings have the same potential to be actualized if basic needs and moral virtues are attained. Moral virtues refer to the good habits one needs in order to control passions in the right way. Children develop morals through the guidance of their parents and perfect them by repeating them on daily basis. Good habits are called “moral virtue” while bad ones are called “vices”. Our caregivers must train us to develop good habits. This, however, may happen by luck because some parents do not train their children on good habits. According to Aristotle, a virtuous person feels the exact amount of emotion at the correct time, in the true conditions, knows why it is right, and does it (Aristotle 350 BC).  

According to Aristotle moral virtues are learnt and perfected through habits. Moral virtues can be gained through practical and theoretical wisdom. Aristotle refers to theoretical wisdom as knowing the structure and function of the earth and our place in it. This wisdom comes from God who has all his powers actualized. Practical wisdom helps us to understand why things are right. It helps to know where the mean is for us in any presenting circumstances. The mean is middle point between two emotional extremes. For example, bravery is the mean between stupidity and weakness. Virtuous people are not conflicted with sentiment and judgment, but good and bad persons are.  We must have moral virtue in order to live in a society and have a successful life.  Moral virtues can be learnt form books and lectures. A vicious person thinks, feels, and acts wrong and this makes them remain stupid, but a bad person is stupid temporarily. Depraved people lack both theoretical and practical wisdom thus they remain vicious (Aristotle 350 BC). One should try to be as good as possible in order to live a happy and successful life in the society because we are social creatures.