Mike Dryden
November 17, 2008
Theology III

Marge Simpson: Model of Philosophy
In The Simpsons, a TV cartoon series created by Matt Groening, Marge Simpson is the mother in a family of five living in a town/city called Springfield. As the mother in the family, Marge mostly stays at home, but occasionally attempts to hold down jobs. The following is the biography of Marge as printed on The Simpsons official website (link at bottom of page):
"Marge Simpson is a happy homemaker and mother of three. Her prides and joys are Bart (her "special little guy"), Lisa and Maggie. She's also very proud of her husband, Homer, even though he frequently loses his keys and needs her to find them. Marge also has strong relationships with her sisters, Patty and Selma, and with her father-in-law, Abe Simpson. But she also has secrets: She has been tempted to stray from her husband by a charming bowler and was nearly seduced into a life of crime by her one-time neighbor, Ruth Powers. Aside from her duties at home, Marge has flirted briefly with a number of careers ranging from police officer to anti-violence activist. "
So what does Marge Simpson have to do with philosophy? As it turns out, Marge charactizes many of the main elements of Aristotelian philosophy; however, she does not adhere to these elements religiously. Remember, it is a comedy series! Some sacrifices must be made to keep the viewer (ignorant to all the underlying themes) entertained.
Aristotle lists several traits as virtues in the moral personality of a person. These include: "bravery, temperance, generosity, proper/self-confident pride in one's own worth, mildness, friendliness, honesty, wit, and modesty. Marge models many of these virtues. She is always willing to sacrifice her time to better the life of her family, whether it be through the vigors of being a stay-at-home mom, or stretching herself and taking a part-time job that is probably beyond her time budget/scope. She also exhibits temperance, but this is probably a developed trait through her marriage to Homer; you would need to have temperance to be able to put up with Homer's "best". Marge is a neighborhood favorite, always willing to help out friends. She is also mild; while she stands up for what is right, she never takes it to extremes, such as, say, Barney or Ned Flanders, who take very extreme views and personal policies on their ideas and beliefs. This balance is very important to Aristotle's definition of a virtuous person, the balance between "two vicious extremes, one excessive and the other deficient." She also gains happiness, and gets closer to the state mankind was in before the Fall of Man, through others, namely her immediate family members, another essential element for a virtuous person in the eyes of Aristotle. However, while Marge's happiness does depend for the most part on her family, she is decidedly independent in her thought processes and coming up with her own ideas; she does not rely on the neighborhood pastor or anyone else to put ideas in her head. All of these traits add up to Marge leading a virtuous life and fulfilling Aristotle's criteria as a virtuous, moral person.
Biography of Marge Simpson
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