Aristotle and Contemporary Ethics
Sarah Broadie
In Kraut, ed., The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Blackwell, 2006

"[T]he idea of the ethical mean is something the philosopher can supply that would supposedly give some practical help in particular situations. But how can it do that? .... Presumably he thinks that bearing this constantly in mind in 'real life' disposes one to monitor one's reactions in a way that tends to refine them, ethically speaking." (BROADIE-2006, p. 356)

"Aristotle's remarks about leisure are not copious, but the theme is a vitally important one for him.... If we turn to existing views (the first stage of Aristotelian investigation), Aristotle's main ones are these: leisure is in some sense the end of life; eudaimonia crucially depends on leisure; leisure is different from mere relaxation; hence leisure activities should not be trivial amusements; leisure is the space for 'precious' (timios) as distinct from 'necessary' activities; thus leisure activities, though 'serious,' should be quite different in kind from the labor that goes into building up the resources for leisure; leisure activities are valuable for their own sake; human beings need education for leisure activities; what to do in leisure is the most fundamental question in politics; the leisure activity par excellence is theoretical intellection (Politics VII.14, VIII.3; NE X.6-8)." (BROADIE-2006, p. 358) [PSA: Broadie then goes on to raise a number of worthy questions and problems about the role of leisure in modern society, which I should revisit when writing about this topic.]

END