Michael Cice
Professor Mintey
Introduction to Ethics
03/04/2015
Virtuous Character in Relations to Physical Health
Living a healthy and well lifestyle, with regular forms of exercise and proper nutrition is
explained in Aristotle’s theory of the importance of obtaining a virtuous character. Without
obtaining the virtue of wellness, an individual would be in the deficiency of unhealthy, or the
excess of over-healthy or over-training. Aristotle explains about the importance of virtue, and in
the case of physical health or wellness, if a person exercises on a consistent basis and eats a wellbalanced diet, he or she is virtuous in the trait of healthy. This individual is most definitely not
possessing a wicked trait, which in terms of virtue, is essential for ultimate happiness. For
example, exercising, or being active on a daily basis can regulate BMI ranges and fat
percentages. Proper nutrition and the consumption of a balanced diet can regulate a person’s
bodily functions efficiently. In relations to Aristotle’s virtue theory, these anatomical and
physiological functions will enhance a person’s ability to maintain a virtuous character and the
happiness needed to live a quality life.
“Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a widening
variety of other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cancer (colon and breast), obesity,
hypertension, bone and joint diseases (osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), and depression” (Bredin,
Crystal, & Warburton, 2006). Many individuals, especially in the United States spend most of
their life in a sedentary position, either behind a desk, computer, or television. Therefore, this
enormous population is not only destroying their physical well-being, but their virtuous
character. Aristotle explains that “happiness is the highest good and the end at which all our
activities ultimately aim” (Aristotle). Being a sedentary individual, with little to no physical
movement will ultimately lead you to many of the serious health conditions, such as cancer,
heart disease, strokes, etc., but also lead you to a wicked individual in terms of virtue and
happiness.
“An increase in physical fitness will reduce the risk of premature death, and a decrease in
physical fitness will increase the risk” (Bredin, Crystal, & Warburton, 2006). This risk increase
from inactivity violates Aristotle's virtue and will lead to an ending of happiness all together, if
not fixed and maintained. “In one study, 35 participants with the highest levels of physical
fitness at baseline and who maintained or improved their physical fitness over a prolonged period
had the lowest risk of premature death” (Bredin, Crystal, & Warburton, 2006). Aristotle would
state that the 35 individuals who participated in this study would possess a great quality of the
virtue of health, avoiding the premature death as a vice. The participants not only express the
importance regular physical activity, but a virtuous character in Aristotle's virtue ethics.
“Weight-bearing exercise, especially resistance exercise, appears to have the greatest
effects on bone mineral density” (Bredin, Crystal, & Warburton, 2006). As individuals age,
especially women in this case, bone density decreases and causes the bones to become porous.
Physical health in this case is extremely relevant in Aristotle's virtue theory, due to the fact that if
an individual is incapable to perform many tasks throughout life, his or her virtuous character is
also diminished with these life tasks. “Virtue is a matter of having the appropriate attitude toward
pain and pleasure” (Aristotle). Having this in mind, an individual should use these resistance or
weight-bearing activities to enhance his or her lifestyles. Not one individual would want to be in
enough excruciating pain, that it deteriorates other aspects of their life. Aristotle would state that,
if an individual cannot perform his or her responsibilities, due to laziness or inactivity, which he
or she is most definitely in the deficiency stage of health and needs personal advancement
towards it.
“Health-related physical fitness involves the components of physical fitness related to
health status, including cardiovascular fitness, musculoskeletal fitness, body composition and
metabolism” (Bredin, Crystal, & Warburton, 2006). Specifically, body composition regulation is
a major component of maintaining a virtuous character. Ranging in a healthy BMI, not only
helps a person avoid many deadly disease, but also shows a virtuous character in terms of virtue
ethics. Having a BMI that is normal relates to having the ability to have self-control. Having selfcontrol, in relations to Aristotle’s virtue ethics presents the fact that the individual possesses a
trait of personal control and not the trait of not being able to control themselves from the
pleasures of foods saturated in fats, high in cholesterol, and loaded with sugars.
“Recent investigations have revealed even greater reductions in the risk of death from
any cause and from cardiovascular disease. For instance, being fit or active was associated with a
greater than 50% reduction in risk.29. Furthermore, an increase in energy expenditure from
physical activity of 1000 kcal (4200 kJ) per week or an increase in physical fitness of 1 MET
(metabolic equivalent) was associated with a mortality benefit of about 20%”(Bredin, Crystal, &
Warburton, 2006). Now, Aristotle would not say that every single human being on earth has to
be a fitness model or professional body builder; however, he would say that with this mortality
rate so high, our lives are not being fulfilled to their greatest extent. People should be active, if
not every day, most days of the week. Diminishing our population from the lack of movement
also diminishes our ethical virtue and ceases our ability to become as happy as possible.
Individuals should strive, not only to decline to the unhealthy traits, but also to regulate
their workouts so he or she does not increase to an over-healthy or over-training type of person
as well. The reason being, is that in terms of Aristotle’s virtue ethics, if an individual injuries him
or herself during a resistance training activity or heavy load of cardiovascular training, he or her
will diminish their quality of life, which will ultimately decrease their virtuous character. Similar
to the patient with osteoporosis, this injured individual is going to have a challenging time
performing certain daily responsibilities and duties that are required for a virtuous being.
Specifically, and individual who is suffering from a sports related hernia or bone fracture
due to an overload of uncontrolled training, is in the excess of the trait of healthy. These types of
injuries can cause an individual to be out of commission for quite a while, and solely due to the
fact that he or she could not control their training capacity. This excess of health led this injured
person to have the inability to perform daily tasks or responsivities. Aristotle’s virtue ethic would
define this act as a vice, and cause many issues throughout the person’s active daily life. This
injured individual put much physical strain on his or her body and caused emotional stress from
the incapability of not being able to perform certain duties.
Eating a well-balanced diet, with an abundance of micro and macronutrients will create
virtue in relations to a person’s health status character. “Aristotle defines moral virtue as a
disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and
excess, which are vices” (Aristotle). Having the capability to have control over oneself shows a
characteristic of behaving in this said manner, without overeating during each meal or
throughout the day. Aristotle would say that if an individual can have this control to not overeat
each day of life, then he or she would be a virtuous person with the trait of self-control and
health. The vice would be overeating each day, which ultimately creates a decline in one’s health
and diminishes his or her virtuous character.
Eating a well-balanced diet will help a person’s body function correctly in an anatomical
and physiological manner. If these functions are correctly maintained, it will absolutely enhance
a person’s health life status and help him or her possess a greater virtuous trait of health. Living a
healthy daily life will give a person the ability to perform daily task more efficiently. With this
efficiency heightened, a person can effectively finish tasks that are due in an orderly fashion.
Aristotle would believe this person is not only, virtuous in health, but in terms of work efficiency
as well.
“The best measure of moral judgment is choice, since choices are always made
voluntarily by means of rational deliberation” (Aristotle). Overeating or inactivity is most
definitely defined in this statement by Aristotle. Voluntarily is the key terms in this statement,
and it represents everything that Aristotle’s theory relates to physical health. If a person
voluntarily chooses not to exercise or be active, then he or she is violating their virtue ethic.
Having the choice to be active is extremely important in relations to obtaining a virtuous
character. Aristotle would explain that if a person is voluntarily not being active, and diminishing
his or her health, he or she will be performing the vice of health and not maintaining the
happiness in which is needed by human beings.
“Although most research into the mechanisms of how physical activity and fitness
improves health outcomes has dealt with the relation between cardiovascular disease and
physical activity, researchers have also evaluated the primary mechanisms responsible for
decreases in the risk and severity of individual disease states. In fact, despite the adaptations that
are of global benefit for multiple disease states, physical activity also results in specific
adaptations that affect individual disease states. For instance, in type 2 diabetes, adaptations that
affect glucose homeostasis are of great importance” (Bredin, Crystal, & Warburton, 2006).
Aristotle would note that if an individual who is suffering from type 2 diabetes is regulating his
or her glucose level, that specific individual is focusing on achieving the virtuous state of health
once again. For instance, a type 2 diabetic most likely avoided the virtuous character of health
for quite a while, if he or she developed type 2 diabetes. However, Aristotle would explain that if
the person began exercising and eating a well-balanced diet, that he or she would be slowly
moving towards the virtue of health again, which can enhance the person’s character as well as
health status.
Aristotle explains how important obtaining a virtuous character is for the ultimate
happiness that a human being should desire. Being deficient in health and wellness will lower a
person’s happiness and deteriorate his or her physical and emotional wellness. Emotional
wellness is just as important as a person’s physical wellness. Living with an issue such as
depression can create such a burden on an individual's life and cause stress during every aspect
of daily living. Therefore, inactivity does not only affect a person’s physical wellbeing, but his or
her emotional wellness as well. Aristotle would say that this depression is caused due to the
choice of a sedentary lifestyle, resulting in a decrease in a virtuous character.
“A virtuous person is someone who performs the distinctive activity of being human
well” (Aristotle). For human being, activity and movement is an important factor in being a
living creature. Therefore, Aristotle would say that, with movement and activity, a person is
correctly practicing how to obtain the virtue of health and wellness. Simply being active and
providing one’s self with functional movements on a daily occurrence can help any individual
prosper as a human naturally and also help them reach the virtue ethic in an orderly manner.
In today’s society, most individuals do not promote good health techniques. Aristotle
would also judge, not only the people destroying their body with processed foods and inactivity,
but also the individuals who may be healthy and not promoting their knowledge with the
community. Our society is slowly deteriorating our health, solely through the food we choice to
consume and the inactivity we daily practice. Aristotle would say that our society is becoming
more unvirtuous by the days, months, and years, and we are never going to obtain happiness if
we do not change our lifestyles tenfold.
Quality of life plays a major role in a person’s daily role as a human being. “Humans are
distinct above all for having also a rational soul, which governs thought. Since our rationality is
our distinctive activity, its exercise is the supreme good” (Aristotle). Like previously mentioned,
having that choice or voluntarily action is key in obtaining the ultimate happiness as a human
being. If an individual chooses not to be active or eat correctly, he or she is diminishing one’s
quality of life. Being well in the seven dimensions of wellness is so important for a proper
quality of life status. Aristotle’s beliefs on virtue ethics possess the idea that if a person
voluntarily chooses the proper healthy decision, then he or she is working towards a greater
quality of life.
In conclusion, obtaining a healthy lifestyle, with proper nutrition and regular physical
activity will enhance the happiness that Aristotle explains when possessing a virtuous character.
Physical health can not only enhance a person’s physical dimension of wellness, but his or her
virtuous character as well. Aristotle explains that obtaining a virtuous character will ultimately
enhance a person’s happiness throughout life. Avoiding foods saturated in fats, high in
cholesterol and loaded with added sugar will enhance a person’s traits of self-control and health.
However, avoiding activities that put an overload of stress on your body will help an individual
avoid the excess of health. Human being should constantly strive for the greatest quality of life
possible. With the knowledge and control of obtaining the virtue of healthy, a person can
enhance his or her quality of life with regular physical activity, a well-balanced dietary
consumption and avoiding over-training activities as much as possible.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Retrieved April 28, 2015
Bredin, S., Crystal, N., Warburton, D., (2006, March 14). Health benefits of physical activity: the
evidence. Retrieved April 28, 2015