The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2007
Abstract
Much of the Nicomachean Ethics treats egocentrism as an ineffectual and pernicious social vice out of which humans ought to be habituated. In the Politics self-centeredness is almost universally portrayed as a useful and enduring constituent of human psychology. The system of private property described in the Politics can hardly be a necessary social institution when Aristotle claims in the Ethics that the habituation process is capable of permanently fixing our attention upon public and altruistic fiscal ventures. This interpretive discrepancy between the two texts demonstrates that Aristotle’s defense of private property is ineffectual in its attempt to preserve the social benefits of the common property systems it was intended to replace. Aristotle would have more convincingly defended institutionalized private property if he had couched his five arguments in terms of virtuous qualities that are more reconcilable with the personalist emphasis of his ethical theory.
Recommended Citation
Neill, Jeremy S., "The Tension Between Altruistic Character and Self-Serving Possession in a Classical Socio-Political Ethic" (2007). The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter. 322.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/sagp/322
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, History of Philosophy Commons
Notes
Jeremy Neill presented "The tension between altruistic character and self-serving possession" to the Society at its meeting with the Central Division in Chicago in 2007.
For information about the author see: https://www.hbu.edu/contact/jeremy-neill/