Moral Virtue and Excellence. Literature & Language Essay

Complete ONE of the two essay questions below and transmit back to me
The expectation is that these are formal essays. That means an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. General rule for the main body is that the number of paragraphs corresponds to the number of points being made.
(1) Discuss the central tenet of Aristotelian ethics: that virtue is a “stable disposition” (hexis). Moreover, consider that “virtue” is to be thought of as areté, i.e., “the peculiar excellence of a thing.” In other words, just as we say a tool is useful in virtue of the way it performs a proper function, so also a person’s virtue is his or her peculiar excellence or proper function. Therefore, what is the source of the lack of excellence or areté in a person? And why is the lack of areté considered “bad”?

(2) Discuss the Natural Law theory as a moral theory of jurisprudence, one which maintains that law should be based on morality and ethics. Natural Law holds that the law is based on what’s “correct.” Natural Law is “discovered” by humans through the use of reason and choosing between good and evil. Therefore, Natural Law finds its power in discovering certain universal standards in morality and ethics. What conclusions can you make about the viability of Natural Law theory? It is worth noting in your answer that Thomas Aquinas holds a natural law theory of morality.