Becoming Good

Abstract In its standard form Aristotelian Naturalism (AN) is an ideal theory. But the pluralist version of AN might be described as integrating both ideal and nonideal approaches to ethics. It takes on board the invitation of nonideal theorists to bring into focus perspectives of women, people with disabilities, and people who are politically disenfranchised. At the same time, it operates from a place of hope with respect to certain ideal conditions such as justice and empowerment in individual moral agency. Pluralist AN bridges nonideal and ideal theory by saying that human beings should become good by pursuing the forms of human goodness available to them given the psycho-social capacities they currently have, and that will contribute to both individual and communal flourishing. When human beings achieve one form of human goodness, more often than not, they acquire the ability to achieve another form of human goodness. Hence it can be said that human beings are simultaneously being and becoming good.