I just really liked this.
There’s a lot of wisdom in Aristotle even if you don’t accept his entire system.
For example, in his politics he says mechanics are not capable of practicing virtue. An interesting claim!
There’s a lot of wisdom in Aristotle even if you don’t accept his entire system.
For example, in his politics he says mechanics are not capable of practicing virtue. An interesting claim!
The ancients tended to predicate formally where we predicate materially. When they said 'a mechanic can't practise virtue', they didn't mean every man who is a mechanic, which is what we would mean. They meant every mechanic in so far as he is a mechanic. At least this is the tendency -- I don't know if it applies to this particular case.
In this case, it would mean he can't practise virtue, at least not complete virtue, through being a mechanic, but he could in other areas of his life.
Jacques Maritain's Introduction to Philosophy explains this helpfully.
The world is what it is. A factual observation is just that! But I think it would be better said that while practicing mechanics one should not be trying to practice virtue.
A moral position will push out a factually accurate one if you aren't willing to ignore your views when assessing something.
Well, people often find it very difficult to separate explanations from justifications.