Homer and Aristotle

“Men, though the look, fail to see what is well-being, what is the good in life,” Aristotle said this, which I agree in some cases. However, in Homer’s case I fully agree.
While I investigated Homer, I had to search for evidence of him being admirable, virtuous, and the acquiring of moral virtues. “Homer is far from being a temperate man…virtuous (with respect to his bodily appetites).” He submits to his desires purposely. He is a liar to Marge, his wife, Apu, a friend, and his family on every level. To achieve moral virtues, one needs to contain “theoretical knowledge”, which Homer lacks. Theoretical knowledge means to encompass practical wisdom. Homer encompasses other qualities such as “highly dubious nuggets of wisdom, lacking minimal powers of inference”, and lacking “the ability to organize one’s life around important and worthy goals,” but not dreams. Oddly, Homer does contain some positive aspects such as exhibiting acts of kindness, acts of courage, “pummeling George Bush”; supportive, supporting Lisa’s entrance in the Springfield Pageant.

Homer is not an “evil person” of any means, but he is not a “paradigm of virtue and certainly not malicious.” Its hard to blame Homer on the character that he is because there are many things that made him what he is, the absence of his mother and the lack of encouraging Homer to become anything of worth or stature from his dad. Homer possesses an “admirable trait.” Homer is neither a virtuous man nor a malicious but due to his life situation, he is a character that has the quality of life, and love for it.

In the story, it says, “enjoying life is not the same as living a flourishing one.” I have to disagree with this comment. I believe to enjoy life, one needs to flourish not around material things but of valuables, family, religion, and opportunities. In addition, Homer surrounds himself with friend’s family and beer, to him that is what allows him to be happy, and to be happy is to enjoy life. Homepage