Description
Aristotle defined human beings as political animals. This arises from his classification of humans as distinctive because they 1) use rationality; and 2) engage in meaningful political behaviour. He is making a universal claim about the human condition, one that applies across all times and spaces. While his scientific support on some elements of this classification is flawed, the fundamental point remains. This paper asks if Aristotle’s claim about being a political animal can help to orient us to a set of universal values. For Aristotle, these values created the virtues, both intellectual and moral, which should guide our lives. I develop his virtues in conversation with other virtue ethicists to see if his ideas can help speak to issues in the use of force, particularly in contemporary uses of force in the cyber realm.
