Nicomachean Ethics

I am in a point in my existence where I have to begin making up my mind in which path to take in my life and probably, that would be the greatest decision that I would be facing. Upon reading this book by ancient Athenian Philosopher Aristotle, in some manner it has made me free from ambiguity and confusion. It has helped me find out what I wanted and how to live a good life.

An initial way for us to attain a good life is being fully aware of your functions as an individual. We must distinguish what are the ends that we could produce as an outcome of our crafts, decision, actions and investigations. This may not be that easy. For some, it may take a very long time for them to mark their purpose. What is important is that we have discerned our normal or customary activity here in this world

Right after identifying the ends that we could produce, that is the time we start to engage ourselves with these ends for us to be able to reach the supreme good which is happiness. Along the way of attaining the supreme good, of course we would be facing a number of trials and difficulties that would make us question ourselves which is the right thing to do. If we are in situations like this, our moral and intellectual virtues would serve as assistance to us. Being a virtuous person is a necessary precondition for living a good life. Every one of us is capable of having intellectual virtues through instruction and moral virtues through habit and constant practice. On the process of acquiring these virtues, there is no guarantee that we would really end up getting the positive virtues. There is also a chance that instead of having virtues, continence and superhuman virtue, we would land up gaining vices, incontinence and brutishness. However, there are ways for us to be able to get away with it. For me the process really requires great physical and mental effort for us to be able to endure. Obliterating a disposition to do vice acts is hard for a reason that it is something natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency of a person which has developed from a very young age. I consider vices as the worst source of our wrongdoings. For incontinence, it is not a question of moral badness. It deals more with self-control which is also unmanageable because it is like an instinctive motive. Lastly, to eliminate brutishness, it is not just like taking time by the fore clock because having capacity for rational thought cannot be learned in just a click.

Intellectual and Moral virtues help us see what the world is like and it makes possible the rational contemplation. If we go through a very long and thoughtful observation being guided by intellect and reason, we would be able to know what is right and what is wrong. A person who has all the right moral virtues knows what ends to pursue.

Aristotle was also able to tackle the philosophical importance of friendship in attaining a good life. The reasons behind how a friendship is formed and the way you treat your friends also contribute to your happiness. As what has been said, a supreme good is self-sufficient. It should not be solitary. It must also involve other persons including your friends. Furthermore, friendship serves as a way for the citizens to cooperate with the community and share their lives and goals with one another instead of using coercive power. This kind of discussion is more relevant during Aristotle’s time when there is no distinction between public and private life and everyone shares the same virtues and goals compared to our present condition where we are giving more importance to individual and to the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence.

Every one of us aims to pursue a good and draws a bead for what we call happiness. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics was able to present us a line which leads to a good life. However, all these things may not be totally conform to fact or reality because it so much depends on the circumstances that you are in. The decision is still in our hands whether we would let Aristotle’s philosophy maneuver us to a life we wanted.

Interstate Sixty

Interstate 60 is a fantasy movie yet I can say that it was not totally unrestricted by reality. Despite all the art that invoke supernatural powers, it was still able to show the state of the world as it really is. It was not totally a deviation from reality rather it is a great diversion from reality.

As an enrolled student in Political Science, my favorite part in the film was the journey of Neal to a town where all the citizens are litigious lawyers. It made me think of myself as someone who is authorized to practice the law and compete with other attorneys. That would be totally challenging. The proceeding at the court even made the story more exciting. It was great to see a person like Cody who for all his life confronted lies of all varieties. He is a virtuous man for he is marked by truth and most of all, he does what he says. He is a man with one word.

It was shown in the movie how significant it is to determine what you wanted in your life. Just like for Neal, he wants to be a painter but his father wants him to enter a law school. He was so unsure of which path to take in his life. He was so dependent on other people like he sees them as persons who foretell his personal future. We should be sure of our functions as individuals. We must be able to know the goods that we could produce as an outcome of our crafts and decisions. However, we should also be heedful of these goods for the consequences it could bring.

Moreover, happiness was also depicted in Interstate 60. In the first parts of the film, Neal was doing the things that would make his dad felicitous like letting his father decide for his career and even in choosing the girl who would be his sexual partner for the rest of his life. However, in the latter part, he realized that he should make up his mind and quest for the things that he thinks would make him happy. For you to be considered as a completely happy individual, you should be happy with every thing that you are doing. Furthermore, you should also bear in mind that this happiness should not be solitary. It must be something that would also involve other individuals like your parents and fellow earthlings. We must learn to pursue a life choice worthy.

To Mister Bob Gale, you deserve a pat on your back. Interstate 60 is a good film for those who cannot stand alone and are under the power of another. I am certain right after watching the movie, you will begin to ponder and be cognizant that you should learn to free yourselves from external control and constraint. Kudos to Interstate 60.