Aristotle s Claim That The Highest Form Of Life - 2081 Words

EXPLAIN AND CRITICALLY EXAMINE ARISTOTLE’S CLAIM THAT THE HIGHEST FORM OF LIFE IS ONE DEDICATED TO THOUGHT AND CONTEMPLATION Introduction: This essay is aimed at reviewing Aristotle’s philosophical claim that thought and contemplation is the highest form of life, with a view to explaining the veracity of his theory. Aristotle, like many other philosophers wrote extensively on a variety of issues. His deep rooted conviction for a society based on such theoretical foundation of thought, contemplation, reason and logic, made him explore the perimeters of knowledge to advance the society on the foundation of knowledge. Most of Aristotle’s life was dedicated to the search for knowledge. Contemplation naturally brings about knowledge, which is the base of discovery. For Aristotle, the life of unbroken contemplation is something divine. It is the ultimate intellectual virtue, and it is the highest form of human activity. Like Plato’s postulation of ‘the philosopher king’ or ‘king philosopher’ as the ruler of society, Aristotle’s theory of thought and contemplation places pr emium on education, wisdom and knowledge as basis for happiness, fulfilment and harmony. Socrates personally demonstrated this by staying in isolation at some point to have the luxury of undisturbed thoughts, contemplation and meditation. The ancient, medieval and modern philosophers gave a lot of time to this highest form of life, and this explains the potency behind their prolific writings which has stood theShow MoreRelatedComparing Aristotle s 8 1455 Words   |  6 PagesNow the question is what values should one have to rule, what makes them qualified compared to others. Plato outlines the different aspects of government and why he believes an aristocracy would be better form of government. In book 8 Socrates starts to wrap up his depiction of a just city. He starts to break down the four unjust constitutions of the city and man. Timocracy, which is represented by the honor-driven man who resembles and rules that sort of government. There is an oligarchy, ruledRead MoreAristo tle s Views On Politics1031 Words   |  5 Pageswhere Aristotle’s is coming from. Aristotle looked for solutions in a Universal manner. Basically, the principles and solutions for correctness comes from the idea that they have to be natural more than conventional. The idea of the good from Aristotle’s point of view comes from observation, he believed that the good is the final cause(there are three others that will be discussed), and that everyone can understand judgement and collective moral action. Aristotle also believed that people need toRead MoreSocial Media And Its Impact On Society1326 Words   |  6 Pagessocial media, such as Facebook. Facebook is used as a popularity contest, where we add people just too have more friends on the list than our neighbor. However, true friends are not usually acquired on Facebook. According to the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle believes that a real friendship is for its own sake and Facebook friendship concentrate much on am usement and utility. Most people that have a Facebook account have approximately more than 100 friends. Each of those people has a particular relationRead MoreContemporary Civilizations : An Essential Part Of An Individual s Highest Level Of Achievement1461 Words   |  6 PagesContemporary Civilizations is a course intended to provoke conversation and thought on an individual’s role in a community. We see this premise outlined in Columbia University s description of the course, which states, â€Å"the central purpose of Contemporary Civilization is to introduce students to a range of issues concerning the kinds of communities ... that human beings construct for themselves† (Contemporary Civilizations Home Page). While analyzing the types of communities different texts discussRead MoreAristotle on Happiness and Virtue Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pagessociety?’(Bessant, 2009). Similar questions were greatly discussed in the history by our ancestors in their philosophical discussions. The most ancient and long-lasting literature on moral principles and ethics were described by Greek philosopher Aristotle. He had an excellent command on various subjects ranging from sciences to mathematics and philosophy. He was also a student of a famous philosopher. His most important study on ethics, personal morality and virtues is ‘The Nicomachean Ethics’, whichRead MoreAristotle s Philosophical Claim That Thought And Contemplation2136 Words   |  9 PagesAristotle’s philosophical claim that thought and contemplation is the highest form of life, with a view to explaining the veracity of his theory. Aristotle, like many other philosophers wrote extensively on a variety of issues. His deep rooted conviction for a society based on such theoretical foundation of thought, contemplation, reason and logic, made him explore the perimeters of knowledge to advance the society on the foundation of knowledge. Most of Aristotle’s life was dedicated to the sea rchRead MoreRole Of The Citizen And The Organization Of The Infrastructure989 Words   |  4 Pages In each form of government, the role of the citizen and the organization of the infrastructure varied (Somerville and Santoni 70). Depending on the type of government, there can be good citizens who are bad people (or vice versa) (Somerville and Santoni 69), but in the best form of government, which he calls the polity, the good man is also the good citizen (Somerville and Santoni 75). The â€Å"least desirable forms of government,† Aristotle suggests, were corrupted versions of the best governmentsRead MoreThe Good Life Defined By Aristotle1471 Words   |  6 PagesThe good life defined by Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics is a feasible goal that all humans should be able to aim for but restrictions make it impossible for all citizens of ancient Greece to achieve it which foreshadows the gender and racial stereotypes that can be seen in our culture today. Aristotle questions this claim by having an inner debate with himself in the process, he creates many theories, but he clarifies what he determines to be the good life by saying, †Our present discussion doesRead Moreâ€Å"How Would Aristotle Respond to Utilitarianism?†1087 Words   |  5 PagesShort Paper 2 â€Å"How would Aristotle respond to Utilitarianism?† How would Aristotle respond to Utilitarianism? The Definition of â€Å"Utilitarianism† is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall good of the greatest number of individuals. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its resulting outcome. The most influential contributors to this theory are considered to be Jeremy BenthamRead MoreIs Politics Not An Exact Science?1393 Words   |  6 Pagesthan in all the products of handicraft. http://www.ncbar.gov/rules/rules.asp Preamble and Scope 0.1 Preamble: A Lawyer s Responsibilities [12] In the nature of law practice, however, conflicting responsibilities are encountered. Virtually all difficult ethical problems arise from conflict between a lawyer s responsibilities to clients, to the legal system, and to the lawyer s own interest in remaining an ethical person while earning a satisfactory living. The Rules of Professional Conduct often