Maram Alfi
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Klusmeyer
Mid Term 1
Aristotle is one of the well known philosophers in the world, who has impact not only in the past,
but also in today‘s life. In addition, now people are following his theories and ideas to understand the
view of the world. Aristotle has an explanation for people’s acts and how these acts can count with or
against the people. Oedipus was a ruler who killed his father, married his mother, and had four children.
One of Aristotle’s theories discusses virtue and responsibility and how choice determines a person’s
actions that are chosen by the person him/her self. In Oedipus’s case, he had the choice to kill someone,
regardless of who was that person. Moreover, Oedipus had the choice to be in a relationship with a
woman who is more than 10 years older than him. He had the choice to have children from that woman.
Keeping these choices in mind, Aristotle’s three theories which are: the voluntary and involuntary theory,
the just and the unjust theory, and the theory of negligence, explains Oedipus’s actions.
The first theory is that, Aristotle divides the actions into voluntary and involuntary actions. In
individual responsibility, Aristotle explains “A person who knowingly commits a serious unjust act with
deliberate intent is considered wicked,” Aristotle explains how a person is responsible for that act that is
taken willingly by themselves. Oedipus actions are voluntary and by his own choice. Oedipus is an adult
that recognizes the right from the wrong. An adult must know the right from the wrong. The fact that
Oedipus killed someone does not prove that he did not know the right form the wrong, but proves that
he willingly chose this action. When Oedipus killed someone that is alone goes against virtue by killing
anybody. He did not only kill anyone, but he killed his own father and that goes also against virtue.
Oedipus killed his father when he was mad, however, he should of reconsidered what he was about to
do because killing someone when being mad is not the best solution to get rid of the madness. If every
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person that gets mad kills someone, the world will be a mess and not a safe place to live in. Oedipus
according to Aristotle should be punished and he is at fault for what he did.
Aristotle’s theory, which is the just and unjust theory, goes against Oedipus. The just and unjust
theory explains how hard it can be to act just and easy to act unjust. Aristotle explains in his both
theories the voluntary and the just how it is the person’s choice to choose their path in life and to
choose what to do especially when a person is an adult. For Oedipus, the unjust was the path that he
took. Oedipus married a widow and he did not reconsider this aspect. Moreover, this woman had
children, too. Oedipus found it easier to marry the women that he fell in love with, rather than taking
the path of the just and not marrying her. The idea that he married a woman that is older than him for
more than 10 years is something that is considered voluntary. He would have not been in the situation
that he is in, which is marrying his mother, if he took the just path. Moreover, it is totally a voluntary
action that he had four children from his mother. If Oedipus thought about oracle's prophecy, he might
not end up marrying his mother because it is obvious that his mother will be more than ten years older
than him. He received a warning from the beginning, but he ignored that warning and chose to go to
the unjust path. Oedipus made a voluntary, unjust choice to marry his own mother and to also have
children from her.
The third Aristotle’s theory is the negligence. Aristotle explains how negligence is one of the
aspects that affect the choices for a person. If a person neglect important aspects from their choices,
that may lead to bad choices. Oedipus did not care that killing someone in general is wrong and that led
not only to be faulted, but to a big fault, which is killing his own father. If Oedipus thought of oracle's
prophecy before he killed his father, he might have thought the killing is not the best thing to do after
what he heard. Moreover, Oedipus did not care about the fact the he is marrying not only a widow but
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also an old woman and he got a severe consequences which is that he married he his own mother and
had children from her. Oedipus should have considered the choices he made before making them, but
negligence was a path that got to his choices. He did not think twice before marrying his mother and he
also did not think that killing someone in general may affect his life in a sever way. If Oedipus had
oracle's prophecy in mind and rethought about his actions before doing it, he would have saved a lot of
trouble to himself.
In conclusion, Oedipus according to Aristotle’s theories is found guilty. At the same time it is the
fault of his father because he trusted the slave to kill Oedipus. Moreover, it’s the slave’s fault that he did
not kill Oedipus. If he killed him all of this would not happen. However, it is still Oedipus’s fault that he
killed his father and married his mother because he is an adult and as Aristotle theories mentions how
there is a voluntary action. Oedipus took the unjust path and he neglected oracle's prophecy when he
took his decisions. Voluntary and willing action, unjust, and negligence were the theories that are held
against Oedipus form Aristotle. Oedipus made his own choices by himself and nobody forced him, so
these actions are against him and only him.