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Essay on Kant and Aristotle's Ethical Theories
Aristotle’s ethical theory is expressed through many aspects. Aristotle tends to express his feeling towards virtue in a way where it can go two ways. He talks of how virtue is divided into moral and intellectual virtue. Excellence of character deals with the "good life" and happiness. People are concerned with their character and getting the golden mean in life. In a way all these are interrelated with each other. Aristotle also explains the relation between ethics and politics. And this leads to imply for nature of morality and living well (Ackrill, 21).
We have no way, empirically or otherwise, to prove that our principles based on perception can be rationally applied. Because of this inability to prove rational application of perception and thus moral principle based on that perception, we are unable to demonstrate the rational justification of any universal principle or ethic. Application of the principles is central to creating universal ethics, yet it seems that we cannot prove rational application of the principles and thus fall short of gaining universal consensus on what those should be.
To Kant, these principles can be made applicable through his transcendental arguments, but there remains the fact that he agreed sensory (and thus transcendental) experience cannot be accepted as empirical givens. This leaves the sensory or transcendental experience open to interpretation.
Empirical evidence creates responses that can be repealed time and again with identical or nearly identical results. Should sensation become open to interpretation by accepting that they cannot be empirical observations then we can say that the results cannot be universal even if all persons at once, observed the same even. Kant's thoughts in Prolegomena to Every Future Metaphysics on the "transcendental aesthetics" that ultimate principles can only be established by transcendental argument loses its effect and basis in the application of the theories; unless.....................
