Aristotle’s Philosophy: Physics, Theology, Anthropology, Ethics, and Politics
Physics
Aristotle established the distinction between being in potentiality and being in actuality. Movement is the transition from potentiality to actuality. Physics is the science that studies objects that can move. Aristotle states that every physical matter is composed of matter and form: matter is what remains in the change, and form is what is modified. Aristotle distinguishes two types of change: substantial and accidental. In accidental changes, objects remain what they were; in substantial changes, something becomes different. For the causes of movement, Aristotle distinguishes four types: material, formal, efficient, and final. The first two relate to the theory of matter and form. The efficient cause is what gives the form or moves. The final cause is the goal sought. Aristotle has a teleological view of nature, explaining the activity of physical beings by their ends. In Aristotle’s opinion, nature does nothing in vain; with its activity, it tries to reach the perfection that belongs to it.
Theology
Theology studies objects that do not move. Physics does not explain how movement started. Aristotle had said that there must be a Prime Mover. That engine should be unmoved, otherwise, it would have been moved by another. Analysis of the First Mover:
- If immobile, it is perfect.
- If it moved, it would be towards the Second Mover without moving it, acting as a final cause.
The Second Mover starts to move, trying to resemble the First Mover. Thus begins the chain of movements throughout the universe. The First Mover operates without moving and thinking about itself. Although sometimes presented as polytheistic, in other instances, Aristotle shows that the First Mover is God.
Anthropology
Aristotle attempts to explain the difference between living and inert things: living things have a soul, and inert things are inanimate. The soul is what gives life. There are three classes of living things: plants, animals, and humans. They differ in the functions they can perform, which Aristotle attributed to the soul:
- Plants: They can feed, grow, and reproduce (vegetative soul).
- Animals: They can also feel and move (sensitive soul).
- Humans: They can talk, think, and live in society (rational soul).
The soul is the form or essence of beings. Hylomorphism implies a new conception of man: body and soul are substantially united. Our rational soul makes us alive, and thinking is what makes us human. The substantial union of body and soul creates the problem after death.
Ethics
The objective or goal we pursue with our actions is happiness. If we have a rational soul, we use logos, reason. Aristotle defines man as a social animal. What characterizes society is the search for virtue. That virtue is identified with a just equilibrium; it is a midpoint between two opposite extremes. We find that equilibrium thanks to prudence, and we acquire it through the constant exercise of virtue.
Politics
Aristotle concluded that the polis is necessary for an authentically human life. What prompts us to live together is nature, not a voluntary agreement. In the first place, men and women are put together to procreate. The difference between forms of association is not the number of individuals that compose them, but the different objectives they aim to achieve: the household, the village, the polis, and so on. These are all natural, as it is nature itself that prompted their creation.