ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the reader with the main philosophical perspective taken in the book and explains where the topic fits in the literature. It lays out how the book's main thesis will be developed step by step and how it will be corroborated through a series of empirical evidence compiled from diverse fields. The chapter introduces the appealing aspects of Aristotle's thought that motivated the book and informed the policy conclusions put forward. For example, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is as much about psychology as ethics. Contemporary moral psychology, positive psychology, and neuroscience literature corroborate the relevance of the compelling moral psychology that underlies Aristotle's theory. Second, Aristotle's account is species-specific making it a strong antidote to our times' prevalent moral relativist culture. Plenty of evidence suggests that we intuitively appreciate virtuous behavior (evident in our reaction to moral exemplars) and its relationship to happiness. Third, Aristotle's focus on intrinsic motivation places our self-concept (who we are or aspire to be) at the center of moral functioning as the primary force. Last, Aristotle recognized that happiness is only attained in a relevant community (be it Polis or a nation-state) so that the final end—the good—of the individual and that of the community coincide.
