My thesis began as a desire to understand how Aristotle defines the process of deliberation. Therefore, I performed an exegesis of the appropriate Aristotelian texts before turning my attention to contemporary interpretations of said texts: John M. Cooper, Fred D. Miller, and Paula Gottlieb. By providing an analysis of all relevant material, I hoped to understand the debate that exists between Cooper and Miller with regard to the role of deliberation in the practical syllogism and offer my own position on the matter.
Cooper finds deliberation integral in the construction of the practical syllogism, but it does not extend beyond the major premise. Miller finds that deliberation occurs until the point of taking action, and Gottlieb describes a necessary, self-reflective process that occurs in the minor premise. Thus both theorists extend deliberation further than Cooper. My thesis finds deliberation to be a process that continues until the point of action