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Aristotle's Aesthetic Ethics
Abstract
It is sometimes asked whether virtue ethics can be assimilated by Kantianism or utilitarianism, or if it is a distinct position. A look at Aristotle's ethics shows that it certanly can be distinct. In particular, Aristotle presents us with an ethics of aesthetics in contrast to the more standard ethics of cognition: A virtuous agent identifies the right actions by their aesthetic qualities. Moreover, the agent's concern with her own aesthetic character gives us a key to the important role the emotions play for Aristotle, which further distinguishes him from the other two theories we have mentioned.
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Anthropomorphism in AI: hype and fallacy
Placani, A. (2024) · AI and Ethics · doi:10.1007/s43681-024-00419-4 · Cited by 170
“…virtuous actions, but also one that understands those actions, whose actions result from a fixed character, and who chooses the action in question “for its own sake” (e.g., the agent chooses to be honest because they believe there is something intrinsically good about being honest) [30, 31].”
Goldie, P. (2010) · Philosophy Compass · doi:10.1111/j.1747-9991.2010.00334.x · Cited by 89
Phronesis and the Virtues (NEvi 12–13)
Russell, D. C. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.010 · Cited by 77
Why Is Aristotle’s Virtue of Character a Mean? Taking Aristotle at His Word (NEii 6)
Brown, L. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.004 · Cited by 72
Pearson, G. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.006 · Cited by 55
The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Natali, C. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484 · Cited by 54
TheNicomachean Ethicson Pleasure
Harte, V. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.014 · Cited by 43
Happiness and the External Goods
Roche, T. D. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.003 · Cited by 42
Inglis, K. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.013 · Cited by 32
Choice and Moral Responsibility (NEiii 1–5)
Bobzien, S. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.005 · Cited by 30
Cullyer, H. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.007 · Cited by 20
Protreptic Aspects of Aristotle’sNicomachean Ethics
Hutchinson, D., & Johnson, M. R. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.018 · Cited by 19
Aristotle’s Analysis of Akratic Action
Lorenz, H. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.012 · Cited by 19
TheEudemian Ethicsand Its Controversial Relationship to theNicomachean Ethics
Jost, L. J. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.019 · Cited by 19
The Relationship between Aristotle’s Ethical and Political Discourses (NEx 9)
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“The crucial difference, though, based again primarily on our biology, is that ‘‘for Aristotle we all have exactly the same eye’’ (Milliken 2006: 333).”
BackgroundInfluentialWas Aristotle a Humean? A Partisan Guide to the Debate
Moss, J. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.011 · Cited by 14
Coeckelbergh, M. (2015) · Foundations of Science · doi:10.1007/s10699-015-9436-9 · Cited by 10
“One could read the Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle 2000) in a way that highlights how living the good life is about doing things in a beautiful way and contributing to beauty (for a discussion of links between ethics and aesthetics in the Nicomachean Ethics see also Milliken 2010).”
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Natali, C. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.009 · Cited by 8
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“…to Aristotle, we can’t do “good” acts unless we do them (1) with knowledge that they are good, (2) with the choice of the good acts because they are good (for their own sakes), and (3) as a person of “good character” would do them (Aristotle, 2011, p. 32; see also Milliken, 2006, pp. 321–322).”
BackgroundCompeting Ways of Life and Ring Composition (NEx 6–8)
Lockwood, T. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.016 · Cited by 5
Beginning and Ending withEudaimonia
Reeve, C. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.002 · Cited by 4
Introduction Ethics as Practical Science
Polansky, R. M. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.001 · Cited by 3
Untangling Rhetoric, Pathos, and Aesthetics in Data Visualization
Prantl, V. I., Möller, T. B., & Koesten, L. M. (2025) · IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics · doi:10.1109/tvcg.2025.3628181 · Cited by 18
“We will then analyze how tensions between these ideas manifest in key debates within the visualization community.”
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Philippopoulos‐Mihalopoulos, A. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-24942-7_9 · Cited by 2
Topical Bibliography to Aristotle’sNicomachean Ethics
Lockwood, T. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cco9781139022484.020
Becoming a teacher does not come that easily : Aristotle, Confucius and education
Ma, Y. (2018) · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · doi:10.14288/1.0375777
Philippopoulos‐Mihalopoulos, A., Viana, I. C., & Vieira, V. (2021) · (Des)troços revista de pensamento radical · doi:10.53981/destroos.v2i1.33052
Metanoia y conversión en El Castigo sin venganza y en La vida es sueño
Morales, M. D. (2024) · Comedia Performance · doi:10.5325/comeperf.21.0030
Aesthetics and DALL-E 1-3: Bibliometric Analysis of Papers Published in 2021–2024
Zelený, J., Melas, D., Ulrichová, A., Studnička, P., Hán, J., & Vaculíková, M. (2024) · Studies in systems, decision and control · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-70399-7_58
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Metadata
- Authors
- Milliken, J.
- Affiliations
- Bowling Green State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Milliken, John
- Venue
- The Southern Journal of Philosophy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-06
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 319-339
- ISSN
- 0038-4283 (ISSN-L)
- 2041-6962
- OpenAlex
- W2094375335
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 21 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Southern Journal of Philosophy (publishedVersion)
- PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Classical Philosophy and Thought
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophical Ethics and Theory
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Ethics, Aesthetics, and Art
- Keywords
- Aristotle, aesthetic ethics, virtue ethics, ethics of aesthetics, emotions, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, virtuous character, right action
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