Pleasure and Pain as the Test of Virtue

In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle defines the pleasure and pain for acting in conformity with virtue. Aristotle can be referring to a politician acting in conformity with the virtue of generosity but feeling pain when doing so; this person cannot be considered virtuous. It is only the man who feels pleasure from acting in conformity with various virtues that is considered virtuous. A man, who performs these actions in conformity with virtue in pain, is not considered to be virtuous. However, throughout the text, this definition is secondary to that of performing the actions in conformity with the virtue is enough to be considered virtuous. In my opinion, the presence of pleasure or pain should be the most important baseline in deciding whether a person is virtuous or not.In order for an individual to be considered virtuous he must perform actions in conformity with said virtue at the right moment, at the right time, to the right people; he must first possess the virtue of prudence. Being generous is enough to be considered to have the virtue of generosity; it does not matter whether he gives in a jovial manner or in a sour manner. Essentially the baseline for have the virtue is exercising it – whether or not he feels pain or pleasure is an added bonus.            However, it is not enough to just exercise the action that exemplifies the virtue; it should be a necessity to feel pleasure when acting out the virtue. Only then, can a man be considered virtuous. A man acting courageously in pain should still be noted as a coward; a man acting pain with the virtue of self-control is self-indulgent. Frankly why should a cheerfully generous man and a meanly generous man both possess the virtue of generosity?            This is not to say that a man who feels pain when exercising a virtue will always feel pain. In the following chapter, Aristotle talks about “Habit is the virtue.” As a support of the previous chapter with pleasure and pain, the habit is the virtue allows one who starts with feeling pain in acting in conformity with the virtue eventually start to feel pleasure. For example, in the exercise of self-control, I can wake up on the first ring of my alarm clock. Waking up at six in the morning is not going to be a pleasant experience, but soon after being productive with the few extra hours I have, I will start to look forward to waking up and the act itself of waking up is pleasurable. At this stage, I finally possess the virtue of self-control; not as Aristotle says I possess it when I first wake up.          So all in all, there stands Aristotle’s conclusion that albeit the state of mind the individual was in while performing the action, he is considered to possess the virtue. In contrast, I believe the only ay that one can fully attain virtue in their actions is by feeling pleasure through the exercise of said virtue.