Aristotle:

“The good
life?”
ST 144
Philosophy for theologians
The
School of
Athens
(Raphael)
Raphael’s The School of
Athens (painted between
1509 and 1509 CE). In
the Vatican, Rome.
Plato points up to the heavens, because of his believe that this world is
but a shadow of the higher, truer, unchanging and eternal realm of ideas.

Aristotle points forward and downward to earth. For Aristotle the focus is
on that what we can experience here on earth through our senses.
Plato wys op na die hemele, as gevolg van sy oortuiging dat hierdie
wêreld maar 'n skaduwee is van die hoër, ware, onveranderlike en ewige
ryk van idees.

Aristoteles wys vorentoe en afwaarts aarde toe. Vir Aristoteles is die

fokus op dit wat ons hier op aarde deur ons sintuie kan ervaar.
 Historical
background
• Aristotle – Plato’s most famous pupil – was born
in Stagira in Macedonia in 384 BCE
• When he was about 17 years old Aristotle
travelled to Athens, and for 20 years he was part
of Plato’s Academy.
• After Plato’s death in 347 BCE he left Athens and
spent several years in Asia Minor and the island
Lesbos
• In 343 he was called back to Macedonia by King
Philip to become the educator of the young 13
year old heir to the throne, Alexander (later
known as Alexander the Great).
 Historiese
agtergrond
• Aristoteles - Plato se bekendste leerling - is in 384
vC in Stagira in Masedonië gebore
• Toe hy ongeveer 17 jaar oud was, het Aristoteles
na Athene gereis, en vir 20 jaar was hy deel van
Plato se Akademie.
• Na Plato se dood in 347 vC het hy Athene verlaat
en etlike jare in Klein-Asië en die eiland Lesbos
deurgebring.
• In 343 is hy deur koning Philip teruggeroep na
Masedonië om die opvoeder van die jong 13-
jarige troonopvolger, Alexander (later bekend as
Alexander die Grote) te word.
• Moved back to Athens, and started there
his own school known as the Lyceum. The
school had a garden known as the
Peripatos (the “Walk”). Aristotle’s pupils
were also known as the Peripatetics (the
ones that walk around).
• Later left Athens in case, as he put it, “the
Athenians should sin a second time
against Philosophy” (the first time of
course being the execution of Socrates).
• He retired to his mother’s estate on the
island of Chalcis and shortly thereafter
died of natural causes (in the year 322
BCE at the age of 62).
• Verhuis terug na Athene, en begin daar sy
eie skool bekend as die Lyceum. Die skool
het 'n tuin gehad bekend as die Peripatos
(die ”loopweg"). Aristoteles se leerlinge
was ook bekend as die Peripatetics (die
wat rondloop).
• Later het Athene verlaat vir ingeval, soos
hy dit gestel het, "die Atheners 'n tweede
keer teen Filosofie sou sondig" (die eerste
keer was natuurlik die teregstelling van
Sokrates).
• Hy het na sy moeder se landgoed op die
eiland Chalcis afgetree en kort daarna aan
natuurlike oorsake gesterf (in die jaar 322
vC op die ouderdom van 62).
Aristotle’s impact
• “Before this sort of intellectual
accomplishment one can only stand in awe.
The human race was not to produce a thinker
of Aristotle’s calibre for another two
thousand years. Indeed, it is doubted
whether any human being has ever known as
much as he did” (Bryan Magee, The Story of
Philosophy”)
• In Middle Ages known simply as “the
Philosopher”
Aristoteles se impak
• “Voor hierdie soort intellektuele prestasie kan
'n mens net in verwondering staan. Die
menslike ras sou nie vir nog tweeduisend jaar
'n denker van Aristoteles se kaliber voortbring
nie. Dit word inderdaad betwyfel of enige
mens al ooit soveel geweet het soos hy"
(Bryan Magee, The Story of Philosophy")
• In die Middeleeue bloot bekend as "die
filosoof"
 Aristotle’s writings
• Aristotle wrote much during his lifetime, but his work was
not reserved in the same way as the writings of Plato.
• He probably wrote around 200 treatises (from which only
31 survived).
• After the fall of the Roman Empire, knowledge of his work
died out in Europe, although it was kept alive in the Arab
world from where it made its way back into Europe in the
Middle Ages (through the Muslim scholar Averroes and
the Jewish thinker Maimonides).
• Aristotle also wrote dialogues like Plato, but these (apart
from some fragments) are lost.
• The works that we have are mostly from his college notes.
These works are therefore not polished texts prepared for
publication.
• Nevertheless they deal with a great variety of subjects,
including logic, physics, metaphysics, rhetoric, poetics,
politics and ethics.
 Aristoteles se geskrifte
• ristoteles het gedurende sy leeftyd baie geskryf, maar sy
werk is nie op dieselfde manier as die geskrifte van Plato
bewaar nie.
• Hy het waarskynlik ongeveer 200 verhandelings geskryf
(waaruit slegs 31 oorleef het).
• Na die val van die Romeinse Ryk het kennis van sy werk in
Europa uitgesterf, alhoewel dit in die Arabiese wêreld
lewend gehou is van waar dit in die Middeleeue sy pad
terug na Europa gemaak het (deur die Moslemgeleerde
Averroes en die Joodse denker Maimonides ).
• Aristoteles het ook dialoë soos Plato geskryf, maar hierdie
(afgesien van sommige fragmente) is verlore.
• Die werke wat ons het, is meestal uit sy kollege-notas.
Hierdie werke is dus nie gepoleerde tekste wat vir
publikasie voorberei is nie.
• Nietemin handel hulle oor 'n groot verskeidenheid
onderwerpe, insluitend logika, fisika, metafisika, retoriek,
poëtika, politiek en etiek.
How did Aristotle think?
• For Aristotle there is only one world that we can
philosophize about, and that is our world of lived
experience.
• Aristotle was therefore dismissive of Plato’s theory of
Forms. More empirical and focused on the senses.
• The narrator in Jostein Gaarder’s book Sophie’s World:
“We could say that Plato turned his back on the
sensory world and shut his eyes to everything we see
around us. (He wanted to escape the cave and look
out over the eternal world of ideas!) Aristotle did the
opposite: he got down on all fours and studied frogs
and fish, anemones and poppies.”
• Chicken or the egg? Plato: neither; Aristotle: first
experience chickens and eggs, then comes the idea.
• Inductive reasoning and rise of science
Hoe het Aristoteles gedink?
• Vir Aristoteles is daar net een wêreld waaroor ons kan
filosofeer, en dit is ons wêreld van geleefde ervaring.
• Aristoteles was dus afwysend teenoor Plato se teorie
van Vorms. Meer empiries en gefokus op die sintuie.
• Die verteller in Jostein Gaarder se boek Sophie's
World: “Ons kan sê Plato het sy rug op die sintuiglike
wêreld gedraai en sy oë toegemaak vir alles wat ons
rondom ons sien. (Hy wou uit die grot ontsnap en
uitkyk oor die ewige wêreld van idees!) Aristoteles het
die teenoorgestelde gedoen: hy het hande-viervoet
neergesak en paddas en visse, anemone en papawers
bestudeer.”
• Induktiewe redenering en die opkoms van wetenskap
 Aristotle on the
telos
• The goal or telos of an acorn?
• Also interested in the cause of things. God as
the first mover
• The idea of the telos is also at the heart of his
ethical thought.
• An important question for Aristotle was what is
the nature of the life worth living, the happy or
good life?
• The good life is obtained, Aristotle argued, if
we reach a state of happiness (eudaimonia).
 Aristotle oor die
telos
• Die doel of telos van ‘n akker?
• Stel ook belang in die oorsaak van dinge. God
as die eerste beweger
• Die idee van die telos is ook die kern van sy
etiese denke.
• ’n Belangrike vraag vir Aristoteles was wat is
die aard van die lewe wat die moeite werd is,
die gelukkige of goeie lewe?
• Die goeie lewe word verkry, het Aristoteles
aangevoer, as ons 'n toestand van geluk
(eudaimonia) bereik.
 Aristotle on the good life
• Aristotle starts his Ethics with the statement
that every activity (artistic or scientific) has
for its object the attainment of some good or
end. The end of medical science, for instance,
is health; for military science, victory; for
economic science, wealth, etc.
• What is the supreme good, the supreme
telos, for our life together? For Aristotle the
answer is “happiness” or “flourishing”
(eudaimonia)
• It is within this discussion of happiness that
Aristotle considers the nature of virtue (or
arete).
 Aristoteles oor die goeie lewe
• Aristoteles begin sy Etiek met die stelling dat
elke aktiwiteit (artisties of wetenskaplik) die
bereiking van een of ander goed of doel is.
Die einde van mediese wetenskap is
byvoorbeeld gesondheid; vir militêre
wetenskap, oorwinning; vir ekonomiese
wetenskap, rykdom, ens.
• Wat is die hoogste goed, die hoogste telos, vir
ons lewe saam? Vir Aristoteles is die
antwoord "geluk" of "bloei" (eudaimonia)
• Dit is binne hierdie bespreking van geluk dat
Aristoteles die aard van deug (of arete)
oorweeg.
 Aristotle on virtue
• Virtue was an important notion in Greek thought
• Four cardinal virtues (from cardis, or hinge)
• Wisdom, justice, courage and temperance.
• The word “virtue” today is often understood in a
moralising way, but for the Greeks the term meant
something like excellence or an art.
• For Aristotle there are two kinds of virtues: intellectual
and moral virtues.
• The intellectual virtues comes through teaching and
the moral virtues are acquired through habit, just like
the craftsman has to learn how to make things by
making them.
Aristotle writes: “By a similar process we become just by
performing just actions, temperate by performing
temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions”
(Book 2/1).
 Aristoteles oor deugde
• Deugsaamheid was 'n belangrike begrip in die Griekse
denke
• Vier kardinale deugde (van cardis, of skarnier)
• Wysheid, geregtigheid, moed en matigheid.
• Die woord "deug" word vandag dikwels op 'n
moraliserende manier verstaan, maar vir die Grieke het
die term iets soos uitnemendheid of 'n kuns beteken.
• Vir Aristoteles is daar twee soorte deugde: intellektuele
en morele deugde.
• Die intellektuele deugde kom deur onderrig en die morele
deugde word deur gewoonte verkry, net soos die vakman
moet leer hoe om dinge te maak deur dit te maak.
• Aristoteles skryf: “Deur ’n soortgelyke proses word ons
regverdig deur regverdige handelinge uit te voer, gematig
deur gematigde handelinge uit te voer, dapper deur
dapper handelinge uit te voer” (Boek 2/1).
Aristotle on the mean

• An important idea in Aristotle’s ethics is

that of the “mean” (or the golden mean).
• Middle position between deficiency and
excess. It implies that one avoids extremes
and search for the mean.
• The extremes are viewed as vices. Aristotle
uses in this regard the example of courage.
On the one hand the person who seeks
danger in the extreme is rash or foolhardy,
whereas the person who is paralysed by
fear – on the other hand – is called a
coward.
• Critique? Bertrand Russel: “What he
(Aristotle) has to say is what will be useful
to comfortable men of weak passions, but
he has nothing to say to those wo are
possessed by a god or a devil.” Or as a
theologian put it: “Jesus’s ethics was not
an ethic of the mean but of the extreme.”
Aristotle oor die middeweg

• ’n Belangrike idee in Aristoteles se etiek is

dié van die “gemiddelde” (of die goue
middeweg).
• Middelposisie tussen tekort en oormaat. Dit
impliseer dat 'n mens uiterstes vermy en na
die gemiddelde soek.
• Die uiterstes word as ondeugde beskou.
Aristoteles gebruik in hierdie verband die
voorbeeld van moed. Aan die een kant is die
persoon wat die uiterste gevaar soek
oorhaastig of dwaas, terwyl die persoon wat
deur vrees verlam is – aan die ander kant – 'n
lafaard genoem word.
• Kritiek? Bertrand Russel: "Wat hy
(Aristoteles) te sê het, is wat nuttig sal wees
vir gemaklike mans met swak passies, maar
hy het niks te sê vir diegene wat deur 'n god
of 'n duiwel besete is nie." Of soos 'n teoloog
dit gestel het: "Jesus se etiek was nie 'n etiek
van die gemene nie, maar van die uiterste."
Aristotle on friendship

• In book 8 of his Ethics Aristotle

speaks about friendship which he
describes as one of the things we
can least afford to be without in
life
• He writes: “it is not only that
friendship is necessary to the good
life, it is in itself a good and a
beautiful thing.”
• For Aristotle it is also impossible to
be friends with too many people.
He would probably be sceptical of
those of us who befriend too
many “friends” on Facebook.
Aristoteles oor vriendskap

• In boek 8 van sy Etiek praat

Aristoteles oor vriendskap wat hy
beskryf as een van die dinge wat
ons die minste kan bekostig om
sonder in die lewe te wees
• Hy skryf: "dit is nie net dat
vriendskap nodig is vir die goeie
lewe nie, dit is op sigself 'n goeie
en 'n mooi ding."
• Vir Aristoteles is dit ook
onmoontlik om vriende te wees
met te veel mense. Hy sal seker
skepties wees oor dié van ons wat
te veel “vriende” op Facebook
raak.
 Aristotle on
Politics
• We should, furthermore,
understand Aristotle’s account
of the moral life in conjunction
with his view of politics.
• The polis, or city-state, is to be
judged whether it promotes
human flourishing.
• Therefore his question what
form of political life enhances
human flourishing best.
• His Ethics leads to his Politics,
since to quote his famous
statement “A human beings is by
nature a political animal.”
 Aristoteles oor
politiek
• Ons moet Aristoteles se idees
rondom die morele lewe in
samehang met sy siening van
politiek verstaan.
• Die polis, of stadstaat, moet
beoordeel word of dit menslike
florering bevorder.
• Daarom is sy vraag watter vorm
van politieke lewe die menslike
florering die beste bevorder.
• Sy etiek lei tot sy politiek, want
om sy beroemde stelling aan te
haal "'n Mens is van nature 'n
politieke dier.”v
 Impact on Christian church and
theology
• It is difficult to overestimate Aristotle’s legacy.
• This is especially the case as a result of the life and work of Thomas
of Aquino
• Aquinas sought a synthesis between reason and faith, or as some
argue, between Aristotle and Augustine.
• Take for instance Aquinas’ discussion of the virtues. He takes the
four cardinal virtues and add the theological virtues of faith, hope
and love. And it is these theological virtues that orders the virtues
and give them the right telos.
• Aquinas also made use of Aristotle’s idea of God as the first mover
or primal cause in his proofs of the existence of God.
• Aquinas also took over some of Aristotle’s idea for his
understanding of the sacraments. Aristotle distinguished between
substance and form. The Roman Catholic understanding of
transubstantiation rests on this distinction. The substance of the
bread can change (to become the body of Christ) even if the form
does not change.
 Impak op Christelike kerk en
teologie
• Dit is moeilik om Aristoteles se nalatenskap te oorskat.
• Dit is veral die geval as gevolg van die lewe en werk van Thomas
van Aquino
• Aquinas het 'n sintese tussen rede en geloof gesoek, of soos
sommige argumenteer, tussen Aristoteles en Augustinus.
• Neem byvoorbeeld Aquinas se bespreking van die deugde. Hy
neem die vier kardinale deugde en voeg die teologiese deugde van
geloof, hoop en liefde by. En dit is hierdie teologiese deugde wat
die deugde orden en die regte telos gee.
• Aquinas het ook gebruik gemaak van Aristoteles se idee van God as
die eerste oorsaak of oorsaak in sy bewyse van die bestaan van
God.
• Aquinas het ook van Aristoteles se idee vir sy verstaan van die
sakramente oorgeneem. Aristoteles het onderskei tussen stof en
vorm. Die Rooms-Katolieke verstaan van transsubstansiasie berus
op hierdie onderskeid. Die stof van die brood kan verander (om die
liggaam van Christus te word) al verander die vorm nie.
 Aristotle and virtue
ethics
• One of the dominant modes of ethical discourse today is
virtue ethics.
• One can think in this regard of the work of the moral
philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre or the theologian
Stanley Hauerwas.
• Both MacIntyre and Hauerwas played an important role
in emphasising the importance of virtue for the moral
life, drawing in the process on Aristotle. Actions are to
be determined by their ends. Doing good rests on being
good. More important than he question “What should I
do?” is the question “Who should I be?”
• Therefore ethics is about more than the rational process
of determining right actions and rules for specific
quandaries or for making tough decisions. Rather, the
moral life is primarily about moral formation through
participation in the life of good communities with good
role models and friends. In the process our character
are formed to live the good life.
 Aristoteles en
deugde-etiek
• Een van die dominante modusse van etiese diskoers
vandag is deugde-etiek.
• ’n Mens kan in hierdie verband dink aan die werk van
die morele filosoof Alasdair MacIntyre of die teoloog
Stanley Hauerwas.
• Beide MacIntyre en Hauerwas het 'n belangrike rol
gespeel om die belangrikheid van deug vir die morele
lewe te beklemtoon, en het in die proses op Aristoteles
gebruik gemaak. Aksies moet bepaal word deur hul
doelwitte. Om goed te doen berus op goed wees.
Belangriker as die vraag "Wat moet ek doen?" is die
vraag "Wie moet ek wees?"
• Daarom gaan etiek oor meer as die rasionele proses om
regte optrede en reëls te bepaal vir spesifieke probleme
of om moeilike besluite te neem. Die morele lewe gaan
eerder primêr oor morele vorming deur deelname aan
die lewe van goeie gemeenskappe met goeie rolmodelle
en vriende. In die proses word ons karakter gevorm om
die goeie lewe te lei.
Theological Critique of Aristotle
• But some would also be highly critical of
Aristotle’s impact on theology.
• Luther spoke of “Naristoteles.” He was the
buffoon who misled the church.
• The focus on virtue and moral formation can
make us blind to the language of justification
through faith by grace alone.
• Given Luther (and the other Reformers like
Melanchthon and Calvin) critical attitude
towards scholastic theology, Aristotle was
often demonised and it was thought that one
can only be a good theologian without
Aristotle.
Teologiese kritiek van Aristoteles
• Maar sommige sal ook hoogs krities wees oor
Aristoteles se impak op teologie.
• Luther het van “Naristoteles” gepraat. Hy was
die boef wat die kerk mislei het.
• Die fokus op deug en morele vorming kan ons
blind maak vir die taal van regverdigmaking
deur geloof uit genade alleen.
• Gegewe Luther (en die ander Hervormers
soos Melanchthon en Calvyn) kritiese
houding jeens skolastiese teologie, is
Aristoteles dikwels gedemoniseer en daar is
gedink dat 'n mens net 'n goeie teoloog
sonder Aristoteles kan wees.
• Aristotle on rhetoric: logos, pathos, ethos
• In the 20th century theologians like Karl Barth would also be sceptical of the
type of natural theology associated with Medieval scholasticism, especially
the idea that we can gain knowledge of God through reason apart from
revelation. Hence the criticism of the medieval statement gratia non tollit
naturam sed perficit (grace does not destroy nature but perfects it).
• In the context of Nazi Germany Barth was sceptical of legitimizing orders of
creations and other natural categories to defend ideologies of blood and
race. Also in South Africa, many theologians would be sceptical about this
kind of natural theology (see Jaap Durand, Willie Jonker and other
“Barthians” critical of a type of natural theology that justified apartheid
with reference to creation). Given their strong Christological focus, the
fundamental category was not nature but grace, not creation but re-
creation or new creation (“herskepping”).
• Aristoteles oor retoriek: logos, patos, etos
• In die 20ste eeu sou teoloë soos Karl Barth ook skepties wees oor die tipe
natuurlike teologie wat met Middeleeuse skolastiek geassosieer word, veral
die idee dat ons kennis van God kan verkry deur die rede afgesien van
openbaring. Vandaar die kritiek op die Middeleeuse stelling gratia non tollit
naturam sed perficit (genade vernietig nie die natuur nie maar vervolmaak
dit).
• In die konteks van Nazi-Duitsland was Barth skepties oor die legitimering van
bestellings van skeppings en ander natuurlike kategorieë om ideologieë van
bloed en ras te verdedig. Ook in Suid-Afrika sal baie teoloë skepties wees oor
hierdie soort natuurlike teologie (sien Jaap Durand, Willie Jonker en ander
“Barthians” wat krities is oor 'n tipe natuurlike teologie wat apartheid met
verwysing na die skepping regverdig). Gegewe hul sterk Christologiese fokus,
was die fundamentele kategorie nie natuur nie, maar genade, nie skepping
nie maar herskepping of nuwe skepping (“herskepping”).