Aristotle - Essay Example

Essay, Philosophy Topic: Aristotle essay Introduction: With the mention of “The highest good and the end toward which all human activity is directed is happiness, which can be defined as continuous contemplation of eternal and universal truth,” (Aristotle, n. p.)Aristotle reaches the threshold of spirituality but stumbles there. He is unable to cross the final hurdle to the land of the divine, where bliss alone reigns. It is the conflict –free land of peace, with no secular dualities. The question is how to reach the level of eternal and universal truth? Aristotle’s ethical theory is incomplete and creates a vacuum. How can an ethical man know about the correctness of a moral decision? His theory does not explain how to act morally and it suffers from lack of specifics. There is a “brain” behind the working and functioning of this entire cosmos of which humankind is the part. A brain that is par-excellence, supreme and extraordinary! The top-scientists of this world are unable to withstand its power. One has no option but to agree that such an out of the world genius could only be hailed as God. In this context, let me give a practical example. Take it that we are in a railway station waiting for the arrival of destination train. We have a heavy suitcase that consists of apparel and currency notes. All of a sudden, we are required to go somewhere for a short while. But the suitcase is heavy and we are not comfortable to carry the suitcase while rushing over there. In such a situation, will we handover the suitcase to some unknown person with whom we are not acquainted with? No! Never! Suppose some of our known person, our neighbor with whom we are well-acquainted with, or a relative happens to be there? Undoubtedly, we will trust that known individual, handover the suitcase to him and will go for the intended purpose, without any worry. A known person is worthy of trust. Meaning, introduction and knowledge are the foundation stones of the edifice of trust. It is but natural, that which is worth the trust, is worthy of love as well. To such an individual we will handover without hesitation the costliest of the things. Meaning, at the root of all this procedure is—knowing or introduction! For the glow it is necessary to light the bulb. For enjoying the taste, it is necessary to eat the item. Just by watching the game from the gallery, one will not be able to gauge the level of enthusiasm that goes on in the heart of the player on the ground. To know that he has to be the player, take active part in the game, and reach the ground, after its practice. For a student of science, it is not sufficient, if he learns some theorems and the theory part of the syllabus. He has to reach out to the laboratory, and it is necessary for him to do the experiments. On the same line, in the field of practical vision of God, only study of texts, discussions and meditation, are not adequate to reach the goal. Practically experience and view the glorious procession of divine designs and creations within! Aristotle does not have a clear picture about the inner world. Therefore he falters and his arguments are incomplete. They reach the dead end. Theoretical wisdom is not adequate to reach the level of “eternal and universal truth.” Now the question arises, after all, how this matchless world has been accommodated in this tiny human body? In what form and by adopting which procedure one can have the practical vision of its entire details? Let me illustrate this position through a scenario: Once a Realized Soul, (one who knows the “eternal and universal truth”) was giving a spiritual discourse. Amongst the audience, one intellectual Surgeon (Doctor) was there. The moment he heard that human body was the abode of the Lord and an inner world exists within, he was unable to digest that reasoning and was agitated much. He expressed his doubts about what was told in the spiritual discourse. Putting forth the arguments he questioned RS (Realized Soul), “How that is possible? How can I agree on this issue? I perform 3-4 surgeries in a day. I have operated upon and dissected each and every part of the human body. I am unable to see in any corner of the body your Lord and his Kingdom!” His question could not have been satisfactorily answered through verbal explanations. The RS told one of his disciples to get a matchbox. Then the RS took out a matchstick and began to cut it into several small pieces. Looking at this activity, the surgeon reacted with amazement and finally asked, “What miracle is this? What are you attempting to prove?” Here is the brief conversation between the RS and the surgeon. RS: From this matchstick fire originates. Is that right? Surgeon: Undoubtedly! RS: I am making pieces of this matchstick to search fire in it. Surgeon: That is a futile effort! Tell me please, by making pieces of the matchstick, how fire can originate? RS: I wish to ask you the same question. By dissecting g the body and by cutting it in to pieces, well, how can you visualize the divine glow of the Lord? The surgeon remained speechless! There was a marked change in his body language! RS: Well, tell me how the fire originates in the matchstick and when it is visualized? Surgeon: We strike the stem of the matchstick on the friction strip to generate fire. RS: That means we adopt a procedure! Is it not so? To create friction or to strike the stem of the matchstick on the friction strips is the procedure to generate fire. By putting the procedure into practice, the latent fire within the matchstick, shows its presence. Otherwise not...Similarly, within our body also God and his extraordinary world exist. But he will not be seen or experienced by cutting the parts of the body actually. You need to adopt a unique divine procedure to reach out to Him. Experience and view the glorious procession of divine designs and creations within! Scientists of the present Age are engrossed in finding out the existence of this life-sustaining soul-force. Their efforts so far, have met with partial success. The famous medical practitioner of America, Dr. McDougall, after his research for fifteen years, has come out with certain startling revelations. He claims that through infra-red rays he has succeeded in capturing the images of the subtle body (the abode of the soul) He let a small beam light of the infra-red rays on the bed of an individual who was about to die. As soon as the person died, he saw the shadow of the figure just like the figure of the human body rising on the wall opposite to the bed. The flight of the shadow was up to the range of the infra-red rays. After this, through another experiment, he produced clear pictures and results of his findings. His associate, Dr. Gates named this experiment as “Wilson Cloud Chamber Experiment.” In this experiment he made use of a transparent cylinder. He created a vacuum, meaning totally free from air. Then in the inner wall of the cylinder, he applied a chemical, so that it was cool from within. An ultra-modern camera was also focused on the cylinder. That camera had the power to click the pictures of the subtlest activities going on within the cylinder. Thereafter, some rats, frogs and rabbits were let within the cylinder. Thereafter with high voltage electric currents they were made to die. As soon as they died, mind-boggling pictures were seen on the camera! In that coolness generated out of the chemicals, the figures of rats, frogs and rabbits were seen floating, and their gross body lay there on the floor of the cylinder. The figures were exactly like the gross body-shape of those animals. The spiritual scriptures also reveal the same thing—within this gross body, a subtle body exists of the same perimeters. Within this subtle body, there is what is called the “causal body” in which that Life Principle of extraordinary brilliant, “Soul” exists. But is it adequate if we take the photographs relating to the existence of the soul?— What of photographs, if in the foreseeable future, the scientists are able to tender clearer scientific proofs, will it be the terminating point for our soul-related investigations? Will these experiments of the physical world contribute to the wellness and happiness of humankind? Ever after attaining great heights in the field of scientific experiments, this question has attained gigantic dimension and the original question of peace and happiness remains the original question! So Aristotle’s argument “One attains happiness by a virtuous life and the development of reason and the faculty of theoretical wisdom. For this one requires sufficient external goods to ensure health, leisure, and the opportunity for virtuous action,” is the incomplete approach and it can never lead to “eternal and universal truth.” (Aristotle, n. p.)Aristotle stumbles at this stage. Conclusion: The soul-related experiments and findings will no doubt contribute to the intellectual knowledge of humankind but not to the growth of the human mind, character, values and the life from its entire perspective! Due to ignorance, human beings search for God and happiness in the physical world outside. He collects lots of things and makes efforts to get at Him. But his every effort ends in failure. He gets tired and disappointed. This is the limitation of The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle's most important study of personal morality and the ends of human life. It may offer the modern reader many valuable insights into human needs and conduct but it is unable to provide the final solutions. Aristotle argues, one attains happiness by a virtuous life and the development of reason and the faculty of theoretical wisdom. For this one requires sufficient external goods to ensure health, leisure, and the opportunity for virtuous action—absolutely wrong! External goods are part of the materialistic philosophy. Materialistic prosperity, in actual terms has contributed to human misery, rather than happiness of humankind. Speaking from the political and economic points of you what we need today is not alone great projects but great individuals to implement them sincerely and honestly without resorting to corrupt practices. Aristotle argues, “Ethics and politics are closely related, for politics is the science of creating a society in which men can live the good life and develop their full potential.” (Aristotle,n. p.) Can politics do that? Turn the pages of human history to know how politics has failed at every front, for politics is unable to create ethical individuals. The important question is then, how to create ethical individuals and what procedure needs to be adopted for that. Works Cited Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Joe Sachs (trans.), Focus Philosophical Library Series, Pullins Company, 2002. Etica a Nicomaco .-Aristoteles – Summary-Main Points of Aristotle’s Ethical Philosophy, n. d. Web: http://www.rlopez7.info/…o-aristoteles-summary.html, Accessed on April 26, 2013 Read More