On the role of desire in the choice of means in aristotelian ethics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31977/grirfi.v26i2.5798Keywords:
Aristotle; Desire; Reason; Deliberate choice; Phantasia.Abstract
This article seeks to examine the extent to which Aristotle understands desire not only as a guiding force toward ends but also as an active element in practical reasoning, that is, in the process of choosing the appropriate means to achieve those ends. Furthermore, given the diversity of types of desire (orexis) presented by Aristotle, wish (boulesis), appetite (epithymia), and impulse (thymos), the study investigates which of them is responsible for selecting the best means to attain any given end, together with rational deliberation (bouleusis), the elements that constitute deliberate choice (prohairesis). To achieve this objective, the works De Anima, Rhetoric, and Nicomachean Ethics are analyzed, along with the relevant secondary literature. It is concluded that desire plays a structural role in the choice of the means that lead to ends. By characterizing prohairesis as orexis bouleutiké, Aristotle breaks with a strictly dualistic view of desire and reason, revealing that deliberate choice is not a purely intellectual act but an integrated movement between desiderative disposition and rational calculation.
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