An Inquiry into the Epistemic Foundation of Morals in Aristotle
Keywords:
Bilgi, Bilim, Akıl, Pratik Bilgelik, Diyalektik TasımAbstract
With the acceptance of epistemology as the primary discipline of philosophy in Modern Times, “fact-value”, “fact judgement-value judgement”, and “is-ought” distinctions began to become apparent, and inquiring about the possibility of knowledge of morals became the fundamental problem
of ethics. On the other hand, when Ancient Greek Philosophy is examined, though not in a similar way to the epistemologist attitude of Modern Philosophy, an inquiry concerning the statute of knowledge of morals is also found in Aristotle. The examination of the part that knowledge plays in morals and actions in the philosophy of Aristotle constitutes the subject of this work. In this context, first, Aristotle’s account of knowledge is considered in line with his views on the known object (causes), the subject that knows (soul), and the method of knowledge. Then, the place of ethics in Aristotle’s classification of science is shown, the possibility of knowledge concerning morals is investigated, and knowledge’s role in attaining happiness is explained. As a result of this examination, the following points in connection with the epistemic foundation of morals can be determined: a) According to Aristotle, it is possible to know about morals. However, a certainty, as in the theoretical sciences, must not be asked for in the practical sciences. b) Practising the general principles of morals is provided by practical wisdom, one of the intellectual virtues. Practical wisdom is not a science but a different kind of cognition [...]
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