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In book II, Aristotle refers to a list of five features of the rightness of a virtuous act. "We can be afraid, for instance, or be confident, or have appetites, or get angry, or feel pity, and in general have pleasure or pain, both too much and too little, and in both ways not well. But having these feelings ___________." Which of the following is NOT part of the list that fills the blank?

Option 1: Jealousy
Option 2: Confidence
Option 3: Pity
Option 4: Compassion

User Lubilis
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Final answer:

Aristotle's discussion of virtuous acts includes emotions such as fear, confidence, and pity, but jealousy is not mentioned as a feature of virtue in the text. Virtues are cultivated through habit, leading to a character that consistently embodies the mean between excess and deficiency in thoughts and actions.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the options provided to fill in the blank after "But having these feelings," the correct answer is the one not part of Aristotle's list of features of the rightness of a virtuous act. Reflecting on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, we see that emotions like fear, confidence, pity, and pleasure or pain are acknowledged within the context of virtuous acts. However, jealousy is not listed among the emotions that Aristotle directly addresses in relation to virtue in Book II.

Virtue, according to Aristotle, is a mean between two extremes of character. The virtuous person must find the golden mean between excess and deficiency in their emotions and actions. The emotions and qualities that Aristotle does discuss, such as confidence and pity, are components of broader virtuous characters. Compassion, while not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, is conceptually similar to pity and is implied in ethical considerations of feelings towards others. Thus, jealousy is the feeling that is not part of the original list mentioned by Aristotle in the context of virtuous acts.

It is also worth noting that the cultivation of virtues, according to Aristotle, comes through habit. By regularly performing actions that are in line with virtue, individuals develop the character traits that constitute a virtuous life.

User FabLouis
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