Kant's 'dualism of practical reason' presupposes that moral worth requires sacrificing happiness, but Aristotelian eudaimonism holds that virtuous activity just is the fullest expression of human flourishing.

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1 reason against

Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Kant treats duty and inclination as fundamentally opposed, requiring moral agents to act against natural desires for actions to have moral worth.
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2.Aristotle argues virtue becomes second nature through habituation, making virtuous action and personal flourishing ultimately compatible, not antagonistic.
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3.Empirical evidence suggests people who develop virtues report greater life satisfaction, supporting eudaimonism over Kantian duty-happiness separation.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.Kant's distinction between acting from duty versus acting from inclination doesn't require happiness sacrifice; one can be dutiful and experience satisfaction afterward.
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2.Aristotelian eudaimonia requires years of difficult practice, moral struggle, and sometimes painful discipline—suggesting flourishing isn't naturally harmonious with desire.
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3.Genuine moral dilemmas (e.g., a soldier sacrificing life for comrades) show virtue sometimes requires abandoning one's flourishing, contradicting eudaimonism's core claim.
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Key Terms

Aristotle: Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived over 2,000 years ago and is one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. He studied nearly every subject—from animals and plants to politics and ethics—and developed practical ways of thinking that shaped how people understand the world. His ideas on logic, nature, and how to live a good life are still taught and debated today because he focused on observing the real world rather than just abstract theories.
Dualism of Practical Reason(Used to describe the ethical problem that Absolute Idealism was hoped to dissolve but, on the author's argument, fails to resolve.): The condition in which moral rightness and prudential rightness sometimes conflict, and no overriding reason exists to prefer one over the other.
Human flourishing(what the capabilities tradition is trying to define): Living well and reaching your potential as a person; having the conditions and opportunities to develop your talents and live a meaningful life.
Kant(as used in epistemology and metaphysics): Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was an influential German philosopher who argued that our minds shape how we experience reality, and that we can only truly know things as they appear to us, not as they are in themselves.
Virtuous activity(as what Aristotelians see as fulfilling): Actions that come from developing good character traits like courage, honesty, and generosity.
eudaimonism(Scotus explicitly rejects eudaimonism, contrasting his position with that of Aquinas): The ethical view that morality is grounded in or oriented toward human happiness and flourishing
moral worth(Kantian ethics; contrasted with natural law grounding of moral worth): Value that emanates from the autonomous rational wills of individuals

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Natural Theology1 linked Justice & Punishment1 linked

Aristotelian eudaimonia requires years of difficult practice, moral struggle, an...Aristotle argues virtue becomes second nature through habituation, making virtuo...

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Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit