Philosophical Reviews

 “Our own observation tells us that every polis is a community (or association) of persons formed with a view to some good purpose. I say ‘good’ because in their actions all men do in fact aim at what they think good. Clearly then all communities aim at some good, that one which is the supreme and … Continue reading →

Do You Have to be Successful to be Happy?

Katie Grace Cook Aristotle says in The Nicomachean Ethics that “happiness is believed to be the most desirable thing in the world, and that not merely as one among other good things.”[1] This quote really made me stop and think, because as humans we are always wondering what is the next thing that will make us … Continue reading →

What is the Function of Man as it Relates to Happiness?

By Tamar Brown “Money can’t buy happiness,” I am sure you have heard this a million times, but is it true? Recent studies done at the University of Pennsylvania shows that money can if fact buy happiness, but there is a limit. A similar study shows that the happiness and money correlation end at around … Continue reading →

Maximizing utility: keeping the economy running as a well-oiled machine

by Emily Martin Is it significant to economics that what we perceive as maximizing our utility doesn’t always do that? Should we constrain people’s decision making in some way to increase the likelihood of their choosing the actual good? But what if what one perceives as maximizing their individual utility is the actual good, not … Continue reading →

Maximizing My Utility: Lily Parra

Maximizing utility is a concept that refers to the greatest good for someone. In the book, Naked Economics, Charles Wheelan describes maximizing your utility: “Individuals act to make themselves as well off as possible. […] individuals seek to maximize their own utility, which is a similar concept to happiness, only broader.”[i] When dealing with this … Continue reading →

Incentives in Today’s Market

By: taylor komlosi This semester in economics we have learned how to analytically and critically look at today’s markets; my understanding of why things happen in the market deepened when we began to read Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics because Aristotle explains the human pursuit of well-being and happiness. It was crazy to me to see how … Continue reading →

Tradition for Traditions Sake.

Haru Gumbo (595 words) The question politics seeks to answer above all, according to Aristotle, is how to make a better society and improve on the one we have. With no unified or clear goal ‘goodness’ must both be work works immediately for community and continues to work long term. While the minutia of what … Continue reading →

How does Aristotle’s idea of virtue correlate to how students work today?

Montse Prado The idea of virtue as a mean of two extremes, as started by Aristotle, follows intellectual and moral excellence. Moral excellence or virtues are not given to us by nature since nature cannot be altered by training. For example, if you throw a rock upwards, it will eventually fall downwards, and no amount … Continue reading →

The Good Life by: Abby Quinlan

Should a society organize or manipulate its economy in a way that makes it easier and likelier that the members of society will achieve the ‘good life’, as described by Aristotle, rather than false perceptions of the good? No, a society should not attempt to tamper with its economy for any reason. A society where … Continue reading →

Maximizing Your Utility: by me

Enya Quinn: Most assumptions about consumer motivation or a person maximizing their utility could be thought of in these ways. A utility maximizer is a rational consumer that would usually strive for the greatest amount of value or satisfaction possible. In economics, utility refers to a consumer’s satisfaction, benefit, or profit from a product or … Continue reading →