Aristotle and the golden mean
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Aristotle defined a good life.
Key learning points
- Aristotle was a philosopher who lived in Ancient Greece.
- He defined a good life as one which cultivated virtue: how we live and treat others is as important as what we achieve.
- Aristotle believed that a good life could be led by finding a balance between extremes. He called this the golden mean.
Keywords
Philosopher - someone who studies wisdom and values
Golden mean - the mid-point between two extremes
Logic - using reason to solve problems
Virtue - a good habit or moral quality
Common misconception
Philosophy is ancient and has no meaning for today.
Philosophy has its roots in Ancient Greece, but the ideas are still important today.
Teacher tip
Explore Philosophy for children (P4C). There are many examples of philosophical questions and activities for KS2 children online to provide discussion starters and ways of thinking.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of these is true about humanists?
Q2.Humanists make ethical choices using reason and , not religion.
Q3.Which of these is a selfish way to decide something?
Q4.Why is using both reason and empathy important to humanists?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is philosophy?
Q2.Who was Aristotle?
Q3.According to Aristotle, what matters most?
Q4.Aristotle believed that the best way to live was to find a balance between extremes. He called this the golden ...
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Aristotle and the golden mean, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Aristotle and the golden mean, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 religious education lessons from the Ethics: How do we decide what is good? unit, dive into the full primary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.