Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (1) bk 1-5 - Happiness and The Virtues
study one of the most influential works of all time on ethics, happiness, virtues, and self-improvement
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One of the earliest systematic treatments of moral theory, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics remains a massively influential work today. Not only does he examine lifestyles, happiness, means and ends, and moral responsibility, but he also treats each of the virtuous and vicious states of character in detail. He also focuses on moral responsibility, how habits are reshaped or developed, weakness of will, friendships and other relationships, the value of pleasures, and even justice and society.
In this first course of two, Dr. Sadler leads students through a close study of books 1-5 of the Nicomachean Ethics. The course provides access to lecture videos, handouts, worksheets, lesson pages, reflection questions, discussion forums, and even quizzes you can use to test your understanding of the material.
Dr. Sadler has been teaching Aristotle in courses for two decades. He has provided dozens of talks and workshops on Aristotle's moral theory, and has published articles and book chapters on Aristotle as well.
Your Instructor
After a successful career as a college professor, researcher, and administrator, I started our company, ReasonIO (with my wife and partner, Andi Sciacca) in order to help people study and apply philosophy in public, practical, and professional contexts. I continue teaching philosophy, literature, religious studies, and humanities courses at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
I take difficult philosophical texts, thinkers, and topics, and make them accessible for everyday people. That's how philosophy gets traction and remains closely connected with real life! The work I do with ReasonIO includes online course development and teaching, public speaking, organizational and ethics consulting, tutorial sessions, development of philosophy content, and philosophical counseling.
My work and expertise covers a wide range of topics, thinkers, and texts in western philosophy, ranging through ancient, medieval, modern, and late modern periods. Among the schools, movements, and traditions I draw upon are Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Patristic and Medieval Christian thought, Dialectical thought, Existentialism, Critical Theory, and Philosophy as a Way of Life.
From 2016 to 2022, I served as the Editor of Stoicism Today. I remain a member of the Modern Stoicism, ltd. team. I am also the producer of the Half Hour Hegel series, which is nearing its completion. I have authored one book (Reason Fulfilled By Revelation), edited two volumes (Stoicism Today Selected Essays, volume 3 and volume 4), and published dozens of articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. Although I work in significant part outside of the academy, I remain actively engaged in research and scholarship.
In recent years, I have held a Research Residency at the Institute for Saint Anselm Studies, been a Visiting Scholar position at European Graduate School, and was a Charles Chesnutt Library Fellow. I am also an APPA-certified Philosophical Counselor.
Course Curriculum
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PreviewWelcome to the Nicomachean Ethics Course
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PreviewWelcome to The Course Video
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PreviewThe Course Text - The Nicomachean Ethics
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StartA Bit About Me - The Course Builder and Instructor
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StartContact and Interaction With the Instructor
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StartSome Preliminaries - The Disciplines of Philosophy
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StartUseful Video - Big Questions and Areas of Philosophy
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StartSome Preliminaries - What Is Ethics About?
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StartQuestions About The Class - Post Them Here
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StartFor Additional Help With Class Matters
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PreviewUnderstanding Aristotle's Dialectical Approach
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PreviewCommon Frustrations in Studying Aristotle
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PreviewUseful Video - How to Read a Philosophical Text - Suggestions
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StartSome Useful Preliminary Resources on Aristotle and Virtue Ethics
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StartHandout - Ranges of Moral Values in Aristotle's Works
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StartHandout - An Aristotelian Map of the Soul and Its Faculties
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StartSupplementary Video - Aristotle, Athens, and Alexander The Great
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PreviewOverview - Nicomachean Ethics book 1
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PreviewLesson Page - Aristotle on Ends, Activities, and Goods
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StartLesson Page - Starting Points, Method, and Precision in Practical Philosophy
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StartLesson Page - What Is Happiness?
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StartLesson Page - The Multiplicity of Goods
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PreviewLecture Video - Activities, Arts, and Purposes
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StartLecture Video - Principles and Exactness in Ethics
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StartLecture Video - Aristotle's Criticism of Plato's Form of the Good
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StartLecture Video - Categories of the Good
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StartLecture Video - The Nature of Human Happiness
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StartLecture Video - Happiness and the Function of Human Beings
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StartLecture Video - Fortune, External Goods, Other People, and Happiness
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StartLecture Video - Happiness, the Dead, and the Living
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PreviewHandout - Ends, Happiness, and Goods
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StartHandout - Good Is Spoken In Many Ways
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StartWorksheet - Activities, Ends, and Means
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PreviewQuestions for Reflection - Nicomachean Ethics book 1
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StartDiscussion Forum - Nicomachean Ethics book 1
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PreviewQuiz - test Your understanding of Nicomachean Ethics book 1