ARISTOTLE
The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote his Nicomachean Ethics with these questions in
mind. For him, the ultimate purpose cannot be understood without understanding the
place of reason in ordering one’s life. Aristotle considers that morality is not merely a
matter of knowing the good, just like Plato’s proposition, but actually doing the good
habitually. We become what we are not what we know but what we do. According to him,
self-realization is the highest good attainable by man. Self-realization is termed as
Eudaimonia or well-being or happiness.
This happiness is not the same as possession of wealth or pleasure; while pleasure is good,
it is not the ultimate good. Happiness is the natural outcome of the active exercise of
functions. The full realization of functions refers to fulfilling, realizing, actualizing, and
developing one’s nature with all its potentials.
Eudaemonia is sought for its own sake. All other ends, such as wealth, health, power, are
sought because they are perceived to be instrumental in one’s flourishing. It is, as the
proper end of man, not some kind of inactive state but actually something that one does.
for Aristotle, our chief good is not something we merely possess in mind but something
that we continually actualize in practice. According to him, Eudaemonia is an activity of
the soul in accordance with virtue.
Threefold Nature of Man
Each of these must be fulfilled as the realization of each is accompanied by a state of
pleasure and happiness.
1. Vegetative- it refers to the physical body which is cultivated by wholesome
food and proper exercise. The body needs food, drink, work, and rest in order to
survive and to keep oneself physically fit.
2. Sentient- Man as full of senses has sentient nature. Man’s sensual feelings and
emotions must be fully developed through appropriate sex activity within the
limit of his social conventions. One needs to make his feelings and emotions fine
to satisfy his senses.
3. Rational- Human bearings are rational animals. the full realization of their
vegetative and sentient nature keeps them longing for more lasting satisfaction.
food and shelter cannot satisfy their thirst for self-realization. one develops his
rational nature in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. philosophical truth,
political activity, religious commitment, and creative, artistic endeavor.
Therefore, for Aristotle, upon the realization of man’s highest nature, there is good,
happiness.
Determinant of Morality
The doctrine of the golden mean is central in the self- realization ethics of Aristotle,
especially in the full exercise of functions regarding the development of man’s vegetative
and sentient nature. reason seeks the balanced course between too much and too little.
Extremes and excesses are always evil, hence, to be avoided.
THOMAS AQUINAS
St. Thomas’ philosophy began with the standpoint of faith. He is known to be one who
Christianized the philosophy based on his theories and ways. His perspective presupposes
the existence of God who is the author (source) and the goal (end) of all realities.
According to him, there exists a natural law which is the interpretation of man from the
Eternal Law. In his view, the source of the moral law is reason itself. in its operation, reason
recognizes the basic principle “Do good and avoid evil”. He used the term synderesis to
describe this inherent capacity of an individual to perceive what is good or bad. In short,
the moral law is the dictates of the voice of reason, and this dictate is expressed in the
principle that good must be done and evil must be avoided. The voice of reason is also
called the conscience, in so far the conscience refers to the immediate judgment of
practical reason applying the general principle of morality.
What is good for St. Thomas?
St. Thomas asserts that what is human good is which is suitable for and proper to human
nature. Thus, whenever an act is suitable to human nature as such, then it is good and it
must be done; whenever it is not proper to human nature, however, then it is evil and it
must be avoided. So, human nature is the proximate norm of morality. In St. Thomas
View, the good is built into human nature, to which we are directed by our natural
inclinations: self-preservation, just dealings with others and the propagation of the
species.
Three Natural Inclinations of Man
1. Self-preservation. We are inclined to preserve our life. Self- destruction, first of
all, is unnatural as far as St. Thomas is concerned. This urges us to care for our
health, not to kill ourselves or put ourselves in danger.
2. Just dealings with others. Reason by nature leads us to treat others with the
same dignity and respect that we accord ourselves. This is the basis of justice
which arises out of human relations. Thus, any act of injustice is against human
nature.
3. Propagation of the species. We are naturally inclined to perpetuate our species
which is viewed as a natural good. We are obligated not to pervert this natural
inclination. the reproductive organs are by nature designed to reproduce and to
perpetuate the human species. And any intervention against such nature must
be evil.
Determinant of Morality
1. Object- the Act itself
2. Circumstances-are conditions which, when superadded to the nature of the
moral act, will affect its morality. It answers the question of who, what, where,
by what means, why, how and when?
3. End of the agent- The end here is taken in the sense of end or purpose of the
agent or the doer.
