After reading about Aristotle's Ethics I feel like a terrible person. I’m pretty sure that I am not a virtuous person after reading that. Aristotle basically says that a virtuous person naturally behaves morally and actually derives joy from doing the right thing… The first thing I thought of when I read that was that is this: If I got a 100% on a test after studying really hard I would feel really good… but if I got a 100% on a test by cheating, and getting away with it, I would feel even better. I would get a great result with little to no effort, and that always feels good to me. Call me crazy but I think I’m not alone. However, Aristotle’s view on ethics has a little loop hole that MIGHT make cheating your way through college okay.
He says that a person cannot be blamed for acting immorally if they are put in some kind of dangerous situation. So if I feel threatened by something, and act badly to protect myself in a way, then that is okay. So the fact that I am faced with unbearable pressure to get really good grades is very threatening to me. The consequences of doing poorly in college are…
-getting disowned by my parents
-falling behind all of my peers in the race to try and get a job
-being poor
-DEATH
So, I mean, I would say these are all valid accuses to maybe bent the rules of virtue a little bit. Maybe I am not a bad person after all.
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