Study On Aristotle’s Family Ethics Thought

This article is trying to find out the core meaning of Aristotle’s family ethical thought and its actual connotation by systematically analyzing Aristotle’s family ethics thought in several aspects, such as family composition, family propernes, family members’ ethical relationship and its order, the meaning and function of domestic economy, ethics that family members should hold and the healthy living ways. This article consists of introduction, five chapters and conclusion.The first chapter is analyzing the relationship between ancient Greek city-state and families firstly, and then family’s natural and social properties. The family composition’s specialty of Athens city-state is also analyzed in detail.The second chapter is analyzing three main ethical relationships in the family on basis of factors that affects family composition. Firstly, it is about master-slave relationship. Aristotle thought that slavery is naturally fedsotidblC liecLIIIJC It15lair all(’ reasonable for the nlasitr who is noble to control the slaves on basis; of the Huge differences in ethics atnotig people. And he also holds that there is a cooperative relationship between masters and slaves because they have conlinon interests, the master-slave relationship cannot be maintained only by power and law rules. Secondly it’s the relationship between husband and wife. Aristotle explained this spousal relationship on both sides. Hand and wife should love, be helpful and respected to each other based on their mutual affection and common life. On the other hand, husband is naturally supposed to be leader based on the inequality in slavery society and differences in ethics between husband and wife. Husband should treat his wife just like a politician does to his citizens. Furthermore, Aristotle believes that the relation between parents and children is performed like monarchy, parents lead and treat their children based on their love and respect to them. He advocates that people should handle these three main relationships well and follow the according ethical rules to maintain the stability of family.The third chapter is mainly ciaborating the meaning and function of domestic economy, and the importance of using ethics to manage family. It is analyzing in the following aspects: family economy, family management and family education. During the process of family development and management, we need to realize the importance of economy and build a correct wealth viewpoint; the necessity of management and emphasize the ethics management value; comprehensiveness of education and value the ethical education and the meaning of healthy family culture. So the actual meaning of domestic economy is reasonably and effectively managing family, making the family operated normally, orderly and efficiently, seeking happiness for the whole family.The fourth chapter is discussing the issue of ethics among family members in four aspects. Firstly; family interest has the first priority between family interest and individual interest. As a entirety, family has a common value orientation and moral requirement. And in the meanwhile, because of the existence of individual interest, there is a individual subjectivity and specialty based on the issue of moral choice. In the second, it is also emphasizing the importance of ethics and practice virtues and their relationship, and analyzing how to develop these two kinds of virtues. Next, moral virtue is acquired by developing gradually after birth. Aristotle felt that the process of moral practicing is a perfect combination of abiding the rule and self-control, the premise is abiding rules and the key is self-control. Fourthiy, Aristotle believes that both city-state and family are responsible for developing ethics. City-state provides a good moral environment for the families, arid the family members also need to pay attention to the. de-vclopnient of pei-sonai moral cialtivatioli, only like il;is will people live a happy life with their family.The fifth chapter is talking about that the essence of Aristotle’s family ethical thought is to advocate a healthy family living way and about what a healthy family life is. He explained in four aspects. The first one is to differentiate between life and good life; secondly, the family should have a good family morality and ethical etiquette norm; besides, life with ethics is a happy life; and finally, having virtue is the foundation and condition for family happiness, family harmony promotes the stability and development of the city, and the city targets the pursuit of family happiness.In general, Aristotle’s family ethics thought is not just simply introducing a family ethics and morality theory, but aiming to combine theory, experience and its application together from the ethics perspective in accordance with the family function and the practice requirements for family management, to make ethics, morality and domestic economy work as an unit in the aspects of domestic economy, management, education, culture and its atmosphere, to build a reasonable and healthy family order to ultimately achieve family harmony and happiness and to show his thought of "family and state management by ethics and morality"...