Philosophy is a rather complicated and at the same time very interesting sphere of knowledge. Philosophy is one of the types of person’s outlook, his or her method of perception of the surrounding world. Philosophy is the study of truth and lie, about knowledge, beauty, mind, in the word about everything that is least little connected with the life of people.
There are lots of philosophical questions which are asked every day and there are no answers to them. We are going to try and answer one: What is the connection between habit and moral character? Aristotle insists that “a person’s pleasures reveal his true moral character: He who faces danger with pleasure, or without pain, is courageous” (Moore, Bruder, 2005, p. 262). “The virtue is a matter of habit”, as Aristotle says (Moore, Bruder, 2005, p. 262). So, the moral character of the person is in his actions and habits. The habits are actions that are “given for people by nature” (Aristotle)
So, what is the connection between these two notions? The connection between these two notions is almost undividable. We are what we think, our thoughts influence our habits and as a result, our habits form our character, our moral character. A person is a combination of his habits. Looking at anybody, we may make up our point of view about him or her without even looking at him/her. All person’s thoughts and intentions are shown in his habits. A person may hide his/her thoughts but they still will come outside by his/her actions.
The other question which we should consider is the connection between moral character and politics. Aristotle believed that people who do not have the aptitude or time to participate in governance should not be citizens (Aristotle). The political affairs in society depend greatly on the person who governs.
The moral character of a running person is very important in this question. A weak person cannot be the leader as he/she will not be able to insist on his opinion and it may lead to very significant problems in society. Aristotle believed that “some people are by nature suited by slavery, whereas others by nature are suited for freedom” (Moore, Bruder, 2005, p. 313). And those who are suited for freedom and can become leaders of the state. And even not all leaders may be governors. There are people, who do not take part in the life of their country, they, from Aristotle’s opinion (Moore, Bruder, 2005, p. 262), “should not be citizens”.
I agree with the statement. Of course, every person has a leader’s abilities, not every person can have opportunities to become a governor of the country, but every person has his/her responsibilities before the state. Elections in the state governor’s department are one of the parts of political life where people may show their ability in the life of their country. This is people’s obligation, and if the person does not care about it, he/she is not worthy to be a citizen of the country.
So, the choice, whether to take part in the life of their country or not, depends on the moral character of people. All these notions are closely interconnected and only a person with high moral character cares about his habits and the surrounding life, as the life of the country as the result will influence his/her own.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Politics. 1994 – 2009. Web.
Moore, B. N. & Bruder, K. (2005). Philosophy: The power of ideas (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.