Does Aristotelian Magnanimity Exclude Women？

This article studies whether Aristotle＇s understanding of magnanimity excludes women. I examine Aristotle＇s concept of the biological, moral, and intellectual capacities of women in theory and practice. Although Aristotle＇s biology describes key differences between the sexes, it does not exclude women from magnanimity. While the ethical and political writings also note key differences between men and women, they leave the theoretical possibility of attaining magnanimity open. Practically, the lack of leadership opportunities available to actual women may hinder the development of prudence, leading to an inability to achieve complete virtue and hence magnanimity. Thus, if women are unable to be magnanimous, this is due to practical political and familial arrangements, not to innate feminine defects. This finding provides a unique argument for feminine leadership and political participation. Truly exceptional women may need to actively seek out leadership opportunities and political involvement in order to complete their virtue

善恶问题之我见

所谓道德,＂道＂指客观规律,＂德＂指人为规范,规范是对规律的一种模仿和适应,客观规律不可违逆,规范却可以随着社会变迁或环境变化而调整。从某种意义上说,善、恶都是特定环境下的相对竞争优势,是人类生存繁衍的必要条件,无需刻意改造。而在进化论之前,在一大堆基于化石、分子生物学、进化心理学、进化生物学的证据链没有被整理出来之前,如果有人敢说自己懂得人性,那可真是痴人说梦了。