📜 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics: Virtue, Character & the Good Life

What does it mean to live well?

In this seminar-style course, students will engage directly with one of the most influential philosophical works in Western civilization: Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.

Rather than simply reading about moral behavior, students will explore Aristotle’s profound question:

What is the highest good for human beings?

Through guided reading, structured discussion, and written reflection, students will examine virtue, character formation, friendship, courage, justice, happiness (eudaimonia), and the cultivation of moral excellence.

This course emphasizes thoughtful dialogue, careful reasoning, and intellectual courage.

The concept of eudaimonia (human flourishing)

Virtue as habit and character formation

The “Golden Mean” and moral balance

Courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom

Friendship as an essential component of a good life

The role of reason in ethical decision-making

Moral responsibility and self-governance

Analyze primary source philosophical texts

Construct reasoned arguments

Engage respectfully in Socratic discussion

Identify logical structure within complex ideas

Apply ethical frameworks to modern dilemmas

Close reading of selected Books from Nicomachean Ethics

Guided seminar discussion

Written reflections and analytical essays

Structured debate

Personal virtue journaling

Final presentation or position paper

Aristotle’s ethics is foundational to Western moral philosophy, influencing Christian theology, constitutional theory, virtue ethics, and modern character education.

Students leave this course with sharpened reasoning skills and a deeper understanding of character, responsibility, and human flourishing.

Zack has taught for IEP Speech and Debate in their Constitutional Program for two years. He competed for 5.

Currently a student at BYU, he loves to learn and work. He has helped build and recruit teams for companies and given training to college students about state government. He is a natural teacher and mentor.

Zack loves the outdoors, movies and reading. He is passionate about politics, philosophy, psychology and character development. 

Zack is a disciple of Christ, and served Him on a two year mission.