The Conceptual Consistency Of Evil In Aristotle’s Metaphysics And Ethics

The thesis aims to study "evil" in Aristotle,more concretely,it focus on 2 questions:the first one is the way in which Aristotle define evil in his theory;the second one is whether there is consistency lies in his "evil" mentioned in Metaphysics and Ethics.Some of the predecessors think the consistency exists inherently in the "evil"mentioned in Aristotle’s works of various fields,for they have something in common and can be integrated into a concept of considerable completeness and clarity.Some other scholars dissent and asserted that there are only individual,specific evils(or vices)in Aristotle,which could never be systematized into a unite concept and only exist as the reflection of Aristotle’s discussion about good.Among the scholars who approve consistency,divergence also appear in interpreting evil.Some of them regard evil as mistake,others as privation.I accept that the "evil" mentioned in different parts of Aristotle’s works could be integrated into a consistent and complete concept,which also harmonize with other theories of his thought.As for interpretation,I think "mistake" is more proper than"privation".Evil in Aristotle’s Metaphysics is a state presented when the due good is not achieved,it attributes to Accident,and Quality of 10 Categories.Without independency from individual substances,it has a far lower status than good in Aristotle’s world structure.In Aristotle’s Ethics,he also included evil in these ways on the one hand;on the other hand,he concerned vices that only rely on agents possessing reason.This kind of evil has a intentional criterion.The latter one also has a sense contains ethical evaluation,which the former one does not contain.Therefore,it can be described as evil in a narrow sense,and evil in Aristotle’s Metaphysics is evil in a broad sense.The broad sensed evil contains the narrow sensed one,so there is consistency in the concept "evil" in Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Ethics.Vices in Aristotle’s Ethics are based on evil in his Metaphysics.The whole passage consists of 4 parts.The first part is introduction,which states the background and meaning of studies for "evil" in Aristotle,works done by predecessors,the main problem I am to deal with and the research approaches.The second part explores the definition Aristotle gives to evil in Metaphysics by analyzing its texts.It mainly contains 3 approaches:for the impossibility of evil as a principle and its lower status comparing to good;evil as a Quality in Categories;evil in potentiality and actuality.The third part concerns evil in Aristotle’s Ethics,it is based on the text of Nicomachean Ethics and aims to analyze Aristotle’s definition of evil in his Ethics.The analysis included vices,injustice,deliberate actions,akrasia and beastliness,and extrinsic evil.Beyond the standard in Metaphysics,evil in Aristotle’s Ethics requires criterion of deliberate intention and a sense of ethical evaluation.Finally,I would argue for the consistency of "evil" in different fields of Aristotle’s theory by comparing the statement of evil made by Aristotle in Metaphysics and Ethics and clarifying their relations.