Class notes on Aristotle

(Originally Written October 10, 2006 in History I)

Aristotle's psychology:

Mark of the animate: possession of soul (psyche)
Soul - the principle of life

Nature of the soul:

-Soul is unity, but has diverse aspects
-irrational soul and rational soul

Irrational soul:

Nutritive psyche- causes nutritive growth of the body, guides qualitative changes
Sensitive psyche - enables sense organs to facilitate perception, source of consciousness

Sensus communis:

1. The source of intersensory discrimination
2. The seat of common sensibles

Appetitive psyche - that which wills and desires, the cause of movement in any animal

Movement and imagination involves a rational aspect of the soul

Rational soul - both passive and active aspects

Passive intellect:
-Sensitivity to reason
-potentiality for intelligible forms
-potentiality for logical understanding
-may give true opinion
-It's like wax, it can take on impressions

Active intellect:
-actually possesses knowledge
-uses logical inferences
-is productive

Relation of the soul to the body
-The soul is the form of the body
-The soul is the body's essence
-Body and soul are inseparable

Nichomachean Ethics:

The End

A->B->C->D

There must be some intrinsic good, there must be some end of end. Whatever that instrinsic good is is the end of man

Three types of life:
1) Life of enjoyment, End = pleasure/money
2) Life of Statesmen, End = glory/honor
3) Contemplative life, End = knowledge/wisdom

The problem with the life of enjoyment is that it is merely a means and not an end. The problem with the life of a statesmen is that it is too superficial.

Human Function (Telos): To fully exercise our vital faculties in accordance with reason.