2. – The ancient Greeks tried to understand what
gives life to animate beings.
– Perhaps the principle of life can be explained
by comparing living beings and dead ones.
What are the
differences
between (for
example) a living
tree and a dead
tree?
“breath of life”
Spirit, soul, self
3. “Goal-oriented, self-directed activities that
unify many parts into one whole organism.”
– Cessation of these activities results in the death of the
living being and its inevitable decomposition.
• Breaking apart, breaking down of its material parts
• Separation of life-giving psychē from its material substrate
– What happens to the psychē after death?
4. • Telos means function, purpose, end, goal.
• The Greeks believed that all beings had some sort
of function by nature.
– Knowing a thing’s function or purpose is a necessary
part of knowing what that thing is—its nature,
essence, or form.
• Can’t know what it is unless you also know what it does.
• The telos is universal to all members of a
particular kind or species.
– All dogs have the same telos or teloi (plural) because
they all share the same nature (“dogness”)
6. While everything in the world
has a purpose or goal by
nature…
Not everything succeeds in reaching
its telos.
• Aretēmeans “excellence”— the traits, characteristics, or skills that help a
thing accomplish its purpose.
• A being’s aretē is determined by its telos
7. Natural beings, like lions, have a
biological goals of
eating, growing, and
reproducing, thereby perpetuating
the species. Their excellences
are….
The warrior relies on his
spear and shield for combat.
Their excellences are…
8. The farmer relies on his oxen to plow
fields. As beasts of burden, their
excellences are…
I rely on my car to get here. Its
excellences are…
9. Human
Nature
/Psychē
Sensitive Functions
•Appetite /Desire /
Emotion
Rational Function
•Understanding /
Comprehension
•Free Will
•Planning and Deliberation
“state of having a
good soul”
Fulfillment,
completion, or
“perfection” of one’s
nature
