Aristotelian Happiness in Jane Austen | Scris de Maria Comanescu | Vineri, 30 Septembrie 2011 11:53 |
THE WAY TO HAPPINESS Jane Austen’s novels are most remarkable through the fact that, at least in certain instances and aspects – the ones I have endeavored to emphasize in the previous chapters – they represent pieces of literature perfectly illustrating great ideas of Aristotelian philosophy. Although it is not at all certain that Jane Austen actually read Aristotle’s writings,[1] the way in which she builds her characters and their ideals, makes it as though she could not exemplify more aptlyRead more | |
Aristotelian Happiness in Jane Austen | Scris de Maria Comanescu | Vineri, 23 Septembrie 2011 11:47 |
GOOD FORTUNE AND CONSTANCY On account of what has already been discussed in the preceding chapters, at least one basically important conclusion might safely be drawn in connection to the way in which Jane Austen and Aristotle regard happiness. Happiness then, according to them both, is something which we make and acquire for ourselves, through the way in which we choose to live our life. Aristotle had underlined and thoroughly explained long before Jane Austen the crucial relation between the lifeRead more | Aristotelian Happiness in Jane Austen | Scris de Maria Comanescu | Vineri, 16 Septembrie 2011 11:31 | Friendship Alasdair MacIntyre perceptively observed about Jane Austen: “When Jane Austen speaks of ‘happiness,’ she does so as an Aristotelian.”[1] And as it is a well known fact that Aristotle held friendship as a crucial condition for happiness (“For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.”[2]) it follows that we are bound to explore whether she does not perchance, speak of friendship also in an Aristotelian manner. My aim in thisRead more | | Aristotelian Happiness in Jane Austen | Scris de Maria Comanescu | Vineri, 09 Septembrie 2011 10:17 | Habit and The Contemplative Life In the previous chapters quite a number of things have been said about virtue: how it confers the truest kind of pleasure, how it is harmonious because it is the middle state between two or more extremes, and how, ultimately, virtue is sure to bring happiness to those who practice it. This represents Aristotle’s, as well as Jane Austen’s belief. Yet, while emphasizing the importance of living virtuously in Read more | Aristotelian Happiness in Jane Austen | Scris de Maria Comanescu | Joi, 01 Septembrie 2011 22:37 | Proper Pride and Justice Having already established in the previous chapter the fact that Jane Austen – very much in the spirit of Aristotle and his “doctrine of the Mean” in tight relation to practical wisdom – cherishes throughout her novels the idea that “every impulse of feeling should be guarded by reason; and […] exertion should always be in proportion to what is required,” (PP 22)[1] it is quite adequate to continue now with a discussion about Pride and Prejudice because, as Gilbert RyleRead more | |
|
|
|
Pagina 1 din 2 |
.