Skip to main content

Teaching Abnormal Psychology with Nicomachean Ethics

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teaching Psychology and the Socratic Method
  • 770 Accesses

Abstract

Aristotle discusses what happens when people do not develop good character and so fail to cultivate and exercise the virtues. He catalogues various abnormalities or bad states of character in ascending order of seriousness. Students also read sections from the introductory text dealing with Abnormal Psychology. Class time is devoted to discussing examples of the major disorders and their etiology. Then we try to compare and contrast Aristotle’s position that human misery stems from various states of bad character with the modern understanding presented in Abnormal Psychology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Psychological Association. (2004). More Americans are seeking mental health treatment. Monitor on Psychology, 35(7), 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aristotle. (1998). The Nichomachean ethics (D. Ross, Trans.). New York: Oxford. (Original work published 340 B.C.E.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Griggs, R. A. (2014). Psychology: A concise introduction (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haidt, J. (2006). The happiness hypothesis: Finding modern truth in ancient wisdom. New York, NY: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher, D. P. (2012). Contemplative friendship in Nichomachean Ethics. Review of Metaphysics, 65(4), 765–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menninger, K. (1988). Whatever became of sin? New York, NY: Bantam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieff, P. (2006). The triumph of the therapeutic: Uses of faith after Freud. Wilmington, DE: ISI Books. (Original work published 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. (2004). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Atria Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vehmas, S. (2011). Disability and moral responsibility. Trames: A Journal of the Humanities & Social Sciences, 15(2), 156–167. doi:10.3176/tr.2011.2.04.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Copyright information

© 2016 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dillon, J.J. (2016). Teaching Abnormal Psychology with Nicomachean Ethics . In: Teaching Psychology and the Socratic Method. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95050-8_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics