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Assignment #6 Aristotelian Ethics Portugal, John Vincent V.

(Redemptoris Mater)

1.) How does Aristotle discover the true good of man?

As with the whole of Aristotelian philosophy, the Philosopher’s ethics constitutes a body
of objective knowledge. Ethics, then, is a science of correct conduct, the universal principles
which are based on objective reality that guides concrete human beings to attain the goal of an
excellent human life or existence. In his treatise entitled the Nicomachean Ethics (referring to the
name of both his father and his son, Nicomachus), which is his most complete work on ethics,
he begins by stating the subject matter and end of moral philosophy, which is the diversity of
ends. In the first chapter, Aristotle observes that “all arts and all teaching, and similarly every
act and every choice seem to have the attainment of some good as their object. For this reason it
has correctly been proclaimed that good is what all desire.” 1 In other words, all human action
aims at some good, or some end. And all men desire what is good. Now there are ends that are
more desirable than others. These “architectonic ends” are more desirable than “instrumental”
ends (ends that we pursue only for the sake of achieving other ends) which are subordinated to
them. For as there is a subordination found among skills and arts, there is also a respective
subordination of their ends. Moreover, this string of instrumental ends cannot go on ad
infinitum. Otherwise, the whole process is futile and in vain. All these subordinated,
intermediate ends must ultimately aim at a supreme end, which is desired for its own sake. This
is the most important task in life: to determine what this supreme end, this final good, the
highest good, might be. “What is the highest good of all human actions?” 2 Aristotle asked.
Obviously, for all people (both the common and the educated) the answer is happiness, the
Greek term for which is eudaimonia. It is identified with “living well” and “acting well”, or
“having a life worth living.” It is absurd for one to ask another for the reason why a human
being strives to attain happiness, for it is the final goal of all our actions. This fact does not
require any further justification.

One must, however, inquire further on what happiness, or “the life worth living”,
consists of. Aristotle recognizes that there are many opinions on this topic. “Now, most men,
including some very eminent persons, place happiness in pleasure and so logically prefer a
sensual life. There are indeed three very prominent types of life: that just mentioned, another
called public life, and last the contemplative life.” 3 People, indeed the “majority of men”, who
place their happiness in pleasure are considered by Aristotle as “quite bestial.” In other words,
they are living a life suitable to beasts. 4 Nor is happiness in honor, as it is “too superficial,”
1
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, I, 1. Hereafter cited as NE.
2
NE, I, 4.
3
NE, I, 5.
4
Aristotle, however, admits of a minimal amount of pleasure as an “ingredient” in the good life.
One cannot be really happy in life if he always falls into great misfortunes. The good life does not consist
in masochism (cf. NE, VII, 13). There is also a certain pleasure that accompanies virtuous actions, which
are not of a bestial nature. Rather, the virtuous life is pleasant in itself (cf. NE, I, 8).
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being in the action rather than in the person honored. Not even virtue (in public life) is
happiness, for it lacks perfection “because a man may have a habit of virtue when he is asleep
or when he has no opportunity to exercise its acts for a lifetime.” This implies that happiness is
not something passive, but involves the activity of man. Certainly, happiness is not found in
riches, for they are “merely useful” and “sought for the sake of something else.” As was made
clear above, the supreme good, viz., happiness, is desired for its own sake.

What, then, is the nature of happiness? What is the highest good, the summum bonum
which all the actions of man must be ultimately directed at? After Aristotle gives an account of
what happiness is not, he then considers what it is, i.e., the properties of happiness. He observes
that not all ends are perfect. The ultimate end, however, must be the most perfect of all ends, as
it is desired for its own sake and never for something else. For an end is less perfect insofar as it
is desired for the sake of some other end. Also, the perfect good must be “self-sufficient,”
meaning it must be something which, taken on its own, makes life desirable and lacking
nothing. Thus, happiness “as the end of all human actions is the perfect self-sufficient good.” 5

Aristotle, proceeds to properly define happiness. As in Aristotelian metaphysics, the

purpose, or function, of a thing constitutes its real nature. For instance, the carpenter is said to
be “good” inasmuch as he fulfills the purpose of carpentry, which is construction. The eye is
“good” if it fulfills its function of seeing. Analogously, now ethically speaking, a human being
becomes good insofar as he fulfills the end of being human, or in other words finding “personal
fulfillment.” It must be something unique to humans that we do not share in common with
other creatures. Aristotle asserts “the function of man, therefore is activity of the soul according
to reason or at least not independent of reason… If then we place the function of man in a
certain kind of life, that is, of an activity of the soul according to reason, it will be proper to a
good man to act well and to the best of his ability according to reason.” 6 This defining passage
thus states what happiness, the life worth living, is: living in accordance with our rational
nature as humans. This is fulfilling what it means to be human.

2.) How can one attain this good?

To live in accordance with our human nature is multidimensional as our nature itself.
However, it is also in accord with reason that the highest form of happiness or good for man is
found in what is the very best within us. It is the activity of contemplation that for Aristotle best

5
NE, I, 7.
6
Ibid.
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fits this description.7 Recall the “contemplative life” stated above. Indeed, it is in contemplation
that most fully expresses the humanity of man. It is also a self-sufficient activity, as well as an
activity engaged for its own sake. In other words, it is the best “act” of man’s best “potency”,
bearing upon the best “object.” 8 The object of contemplation is God, as it is a human activity
which imitates the activity of the Divine, the Unmoved Mover.

The good life involves both thinking and doing.9 Apart from contemplation, one must
also practice the virtues (both the intellectual and moral virtues). Both contemplation and the
practice of virtue lead to happiness. Moreover, happiness is not merely a passive state that we
achieve. Happiness consists of a “complete life.” According to Aristotle, “A single swallow or
one good day does not mean that spring has come. So one day (of goodness) or a short practice
of virtue does not make a man blessed and happy.” 10 Just as winning one game does not make a
sports team a champion, so does one virtuous act or one moment of happiness does not make a
person’s life “the life worth living.” Happiness is life’s day-to-day effort.

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Bibliography:

Aquinas, Thomas. Commentary on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. C.I. Litzinger, O.P.
Notre Dame: Dumb Ox Books, 1993.

Lawhead, William F. The Voyage of Discovery: A History of Western Philosophy. Belmont,

California: Wadsworth Publishing, 1996.

Torre, Joseph M. de. Christian Philosophy. 3rd Ed. Manila: Sinag-Tala, 1980.

7
Lawhead, William F., The Voyage of Discovery: A History of Western Philosophy, (Belmont,
California: Wadsworth Publishing, 1996), p. 100.
8
Torre, Joseph M. de., Christian Philosophy, 3rd ed. (Manila: Sinag-Tala, 1980), p. 275.
9
Lawhead, 97.
10
NE, I, 7.