From Natural Character to Moral Virtue in Aristotle

249 Pages·2017·1.59 MB·English

by  Mariska Leunissen

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From Natural Character
to Moral Virtue in Aristotle
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From Natural Character
to Moral Virtue in Aristotle
mariska leunissen
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For Lisa
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CONTENTS
List of Tables xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
Abbreviations xxxi
PART I | The Physiology and Science of Natural
Character
CHAPTER 1 The Physiology of Natural Character 3
1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 A Well- Mixed Natural Character and the Ease
of Habituation 5
1.3 The Relation among Natural Character, Blood, and Material
Nature 9
1.4 Human Physiology, Blood, and Natural Character 26
CHAPTER 2 Changing Natural Character 32
2.1 Introduction 32
2.2 The Influence of Diet, Aging, and Disease on Natural
Character 33
2.3 The Influence of Environmental Factors on Natural
Character 42
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2.4 Some Moral Implications of Aristotle’s Views about Natural
Character 48
CHAPTER 3 The Science of Natural Character 55
3.1 Introduction 55
3.2 Aristotle’s Familiarity with the Science of Physiognomy 58
3.3 Physiognomy in Aristotle’s Prior Analytics 61
3.4 Physiognomy in Aristotle’s Biological Treatises 66
PART II | The Physiology of Moral Development
CHAPTER 4 Eugenics and the Production of Good Natural
Character 81
4.1 Introduction 81
4.2 The Production of Male Offspring with “Good” Bodies
and Characters in the Ideal City 82
4.3 The Moral Advantages and Heredity of “Good Birth”
and “Natural Talent” 90
4.4 A Biological Account of the Heritability of Natural
Character 95
CHAPTER 5 Perfection and the Psychophysical Process
of Habituation 105
5.1 Introduction 105
5.2 The Acquisition of Character Virtue in Physics VII 3 110
5.3 Perfection and the Psychophysical Process of Habituation
in the Ethical Treatises 115
5.4 A Psychophysical Account of Habituation Based on Physics
VII 3 130
CHAPTER 6 The Natural Character and Moral Deficiencies
of Women 139
6.1 Introduction 139
6.2 The Generation of Women and Their Biological
Imperfections Relative to Men 140
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6.3 From Natural Character to the Virtue of Assistants
in Women 152
6.4 A Psychophysical Account of the Moral Deficiencies
in Women 167
CHAPTER 7 Conclusion 177
Bibliography 183
Index—Rerum 197
Index—Locorum 201
Contents | ix