A SUMMARY OF ARISTOTLE'S ETHICS. 155 



how the present type came to be what it is, whether 

 it can be accounted for by a progressive natural 

 evolution, or whether the Christian ideal was not 

 a revelation, and a new departure prepared for, 

 indeed, but not the product of previous develop- 

 ment. As we take the Christian type, so Aristotle 

 took the Greek type, but he did not concern him- 

 self as to how it had come to be what it was, or 

 why it was the fullest known expression of reason. 

 We claim the Christian standard as a standard for 

 man as man, and criticize the moral standard of 

 the Ethics as local and national, and therefore 

 transient. This is felt directly we attempt to 

 transfer the virtues of the Ethics to modern life. 

 We feel the juovoicuXia of Greek ethics, as 

 Aristotle felt the juovojcwXm of the Spartan type of 

 character. 



()3) In dealing with the question of criterion, i.e. 

 why is one act more right than another? 



(i.) Aristotle absolutely discards pleasiire. 

 Pleasure is neither good nor bad, nor do pleasures 

 differ in kind except in the sense that they belong 

 to different ivtpydai. It may be relative, as accom- 

 panying a process of restoration, or absolute, and so 

 far good as the reflex of an activity, but you can 

 get no criterion from pleasure. 



(ii.) Aristotle has no idea of judging acts by 

 their tendency to promote the greatest happiness 

 of the greatest number. He is as little a Utilitarian 



