Who is the Megalopsychos?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14394/etyka.435

Keywords:

Homer, Sokrates, Arystoteles, Platon, polis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe the mysterious and controversial virtue of megalopsychia which Aristotle discusses in book 4 of the Nicomachean Ethics. By examining its origin (which can be traced back to the ethos of the Homeric aristocracy) and the ethical context in which it could become significant, I try to present the underpinnings of this virtue as an alternative to the “classical” view of virtue. Since the latter is based on the metaphysical assumptions, which have lost their credibility in our days, I argue that it is the virtue of “the greatness of soul” — much closer to our views on both reality and human nature — that could help us restore the moral significance to the notion of virtue.

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Published

2007-12-01

How to Cite

Łojek, Stanisław. 2007. “Who Is the Megalopsychos?”. Etyka 40 (December). Warsaw, Poland:115-29. https://doi.org/10.14394/etyka.435.

Issue

Vol. 40 (2007)

Section

Papers

License

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