Christians Reading Classics The Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle with Sabrina Little | America 250
Mar 12, 2026
Sabrina Little, assistant professor and ultramarathoner who blends virtue ethics with athletic practice, joins to unpack Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. They explore virtue as habit, the teleological shape of a flourishing life, and the tensions between contemplative and practical living. Conversations link athletics, parenting, and Thomistic formation to how character is formed through daily practice.
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Everything Aims At Flourishing
- Aristotle frames life teleologically: everything aims at some good, and the highest good is eudaimonia, flourishing as an activity of the soul constituted by virtues.
- Sabrina Little emphasizes asking students what their life ultimately aims at to give coherence and action-guidance to daily choices.
Virtue Is Habit Aligned With Human Nature
- Aristotle distinguishes intellectual virtues (grown by teaching) from moral virtues (formed by habit), locating excellence in fitting human nature and freedom.
- Little stresses virtues are suited to being human and require voluntary practice, not supernatural detachment.
Practice Solitude To Develop Intellectual Virtue
- Cultivate a life of the mind by being comfortable alone and thinking without constant device distractions.
- Sabrina asks students to embrace solitude (e.g., undistracted jogging) and practice silent reflection to develop intellectual virtue.
