HISTORY, THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
George Pullman
ARISTOTLE
THEORY OF CIVIC DISCOURSE ON RHETORIC
Felton A. Lovett
23 July 2002
Aristotle says that happiness is: Success combined with the virtue or self sufficiency in
life or as the pleasantest life accompanied with security or as abundance of possessions or
live bodies, with the ability to defend and use these things.
Aristotle says that the parts of happiness are:
Good Birth – Highly regarded ancestors. Lineage includes many outstanding men and
women in the family
Good Children and Numerous Children – Good in excellence of body, stature, beauty,
strength, athletic prowess. Also of mind and temperance and courage.
Wealth – Abundance of cash, land, possession of tracts, slaves and cattle. These things
should be privately owned, and income producing.
Good reputation – Achieving the respect of all people or something akin thereto.
Honor – A sign of a reputation for doing good.
Good Luck – Means to get and keep those good things of which chance is the cause,
either all or most of the most important.
Case of the Body – Excellence in health, in the form of making use of the body without
illness.
Beauty – Differs at each stage of life: Youth/having a body fit for the race course and
ideals of strength. Prime / person should be adapted to the toils of war and be thought
attractive and fear-inspiring. Old age / should have adequate strength for necessary
exertions and not be painful to look at.
Strength – The ability to move another person physically as one wills
Excellence in stature – consists in surpassing many others in height of the body, length of
the limbs and breadth of the chest.
Body excellence in competitive athletics – a combination of size and strength and
swiftness.
A good old age – to age slowly without pain
Many and good friendships – A friend is one who is active in providing another with
things that are beneficial.
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It is generally accepted that certain characteristics are better than others within a given
society or organization. A person is asked to repeat an oath when joining many
organizations, and often times these oaths contain characteristics expected within the
particular organization. A society is not limited to small group, but can extend to a city,
state or a country. Attitudes that make a society more livable should be considered good
in themselves. The deliberative orator, in his effort to demonstrate that a course of action
is in the best interest of the audience, needs an understanding of the objective values of
human life, which may provide additional premises for argument. [Book 1, p 56]
Aristotle, therefore, connects his definition of happiness and its parts to deliberative
argument by appealing to those things or characteristics that inexorably are seen as good
by a majority of a society.
Aristotle defines happiness and it parts to those things that are extrinsic. It appears that
what was most important are those things that are tangible within his society. He asserts
that happiness is directly related to the way a person looks, the friends they have, how
they and their children are viewed and the things accumulated. Social status is a recurring
motif in Aristotle’s definition and parts of happiness. I think that Aristotle’s analysis of
happiness and its parts still holds to a surprisingly large extent. On the surface, the parts
of happiness he holds in high regard are kin to hedonism; however, society today holds
the very same things in high esteem. We, as a society, place value on the person with the
most things, the most friends, or who is most athletic. We view wealth, beauty and talent
as advantageous and equate those advantages, as Aristotle does, with happiness. There
are, though, instances where Aristotle’s parts of happiness should be modernized to
reflect current attitudes and sensibilities. Today’s society, unlike Aristotle’s, does not
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equate a family having numerous children as beneficial. This change in attitude can be
attributed to technological advances in industry as well as health sciences. A family with
many children is viewed negatively and more of a burden than a necessity. The
accumulation of wealth is, however, still desirable by society, but no longer do we view
slave ownership as an ostensibly good thing or advantageous. Manifestations of
happiness are now viewed by many in more innate manner, such as spirituality and
purpose beyond the tangible. This view of happiness supposedly supercedes those listed
by Aristotle; however, this inwardness is usually accompanied or supplanted by those
things it is supposed to replace. Aristotle would not be surprised, I don’t think, that his
analysis is as valid as when he initially proposed it.
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Who I Am:
Retired Major, United States Marine Corps
Setting:
Alternative High School Graduation Ceremony
Purpose:
To persuade class members that joining the Marine Corps is beneficial
I stand before you today as you reach a milestone in your lives. Let me congratulate you
and extend my best wishes. You are now entering a phase of your life, adulthood, in
which you will be expected to make mate decisions and be self sufficient. Society is
unrelenting in its demand on its citizenry, and the pressures of everyday life are
unbearable to many. Many people, unfortunately, turn to crime or some other vice rather
than being a positive contributor to society. You, however, have a choice to recognize
your potential as a positive society member and your capacity to lead a fulfilling life.
This can be realized by joining an elite organization, the United States Marine Corps.
Your graduation today exemplifies the character sought by the Marine Corps. You may
be viewed by others as inferior, since you are not graduating from a ‘regular’ high school.
However, you have succeeded outside the status quo and should be commended. You
could have dropped out of school, or chosen some other destructive path. No, you stuck
it out and now sit here with the gleam of success in your eyes. The Marine Corps offers a
unique chance of honor and respect within society; for what more can you do than serve
your country.
I am sure that this occasion will not soon be forgotten. The friendships you have made
will be enduring. The obstacles you have faced makes this day more special. You have
probably been told that you would not be successful or something else portraying you in
a negative fashion. These statements, I am sure, strengthened your resolve and provided
you with the impetus necessary to reach your goals individually and as a group. The
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bonds and friendships realized from your time here will be invaluable. This same bond
can be forged on a larger scale upon joining the Marine Corps. If you decide to embark
on this journey, which is not without difficulty, you will have the same experience on a
grander scale. I have friendships that span over 30 years and most were made and
cemented during my tenure in the Marine Corps. These friendships have proven
invaluable. Some have resulted in business partnerships and business deals. I was also
introduced to my wife of 15 years by a friend from my days in the Marine Corps.
A good reputation is important in gaining access to many successful avenues. There are
various methods of obtaining a solid reputation. Few of these methods, however, entail
the respect garnered by entry into the United States Marine Corps. You will be realized
as an elite service member, following in the footsteps of many great men and women. I
cannot, with good conscience, fail to inform you the potential success that is available
simply upon having a good reputation. Whether or not you decide to join the Marine
Corps, the same holds true; your reputation will precede you in whatever you endeavor.
You can definitely enhance your visibility and chance of success, while obtaining a
reputation for doing well by joining the United States Marine Corps.
The choices you make today, tomorrow and onward will affect how you are viewed by
other society members, the friendships you realize and your reputation. Look around and
you see, hopefully, future doctors, lawyers, teachers or other professional society
members. On the other hand you see, regrettably, future homeless, derelict and other less
fortunate society members. You have the capacity to belong to either of these groups;
however, you can lessen your chance of belonging to the latter by looking inside yourself
and seeing a future United State Marine.
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