The great Aristotle presented his thoughts on human nature in his three books “Eudemian Ethics,” “Nicomachean Ethics,” and “Politics.” He wrote or dictated them in the last period of his life (335-322 BC) after he had started his own school (“the Lyceum”) in Athens.
What is Aristotle’s key idea on human nature? He defined humans as “rational animals.” Compared to all other creatures, humans are the only ones that possess the ability to reason and choose their behaviour on ethical grounds.
Modern science has proven that some animal species have a limited capacity to think. I’m talking about dolphins, elephants, chimpanzees, ravens, cats, and dogs, for example; they possess the ability to draw simple conclusions but I wouldn’t categorize them as “rational animals” in the Aristotelian sense.
As a result of their rationality, humans are uniquely able to give direction to their lives. They can set long-range objectives and pursue them steadily. They can allocate their energies and other resources to achieve their goals as quickly as possible.
Happiness and Aristotle’s thoughts on human nature
For humans, argued Aristotle, the overriding goal is to attain happiness. In all his books, Aristotle employed the Greek term “eudaimonia.” It translates not only as “happiness,” but also as “well-being,” “flourishing” or “thriving.”
These translations show that Aristotle’s idea of happiness is dynamic. It is not a spiritual status of lethargic contentment but the result of determined action by the concerned person. It is something that you achieve or earn, not an undeserved present.
In Aristotelian philosophy, it is up to each person to actively seek his own happiness. The philosopher’s task is to delineate the path and set up guideposts. The sole purpose of ethics is to teach individuals to attain happiness, understood as a radically personal experience.
Virtue and Aristotle’s thoughts on human nature
How do you attain happiness according to Aristotle? It is all about acquiring good habits (virtues) and practising them daily. The Aristotelian virtues (self-discipline, benevolence, courage and persistence, amongst others) are tools for achieving a goal.
Comparing to animals, human nature is highly complex. For the sake of analysis, Aristotle split the human mind (soul) into three areas. He called them rationality, emotions and vegetative in the same way as prior and later philosophers have done.
Even Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) employed these tripartite division when he spoke of the conscious, subconscious and the societal constraints, although his explanations differ from those given by Aristotle.
The Aristotelian division of the soul in three elements helps us grasp human nature better. When we refer to a certain aspect in someone’s personality, we can connect it to reason, emotions (desires, appetites, tastes) or vegetative drive (survival, growth, nutrition, reproduction).
The good life and Aristotle’s thoughts on human nature
Virtue, if well conceived, shall bring forward the best in the human soul. Virtues shall enable individuals to use rationality, tame desires, and channel drives for maximum happiness.
What are the main Aristotelian virtues? Courage, justice and temperance are essential, but there are many others. Actually, if you pick up any modern book on how to achieve success, you will find a rehash of Aristotelian morality.
The translation of the Aristotelian eudaimonia as “thriving” or “flourishing” gives us an inkling of the path to follow. You’ll have to establish goals, develop your skills, and deploy efforts for a prolonged period before you can thrive.
Along the way, it’s conceivable that you will have to endure setbacks, face obstacles, and make occasional mistakes. Those are part of life and should be confronted courageously.
Friendship and Aristotle’s thoughts on human nature
Both “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics” speak of the importance of friendships in achieving happiness. Don’t waste any opportunity to make new friends, but select them on the basis of their virtues (habits).
Close, steady friendship, wrote Aristotle, is based on mutual admiration and shared values. It goes far beyond the search of financial gain, entertainment or career advancement. It’s a deep emotional response of one personality to another.
Aristotle underlined the social nature of humans in his book “Politics.” He noted that humans are generally happier if they are surrounded by other humans with whom their interact in a peaceful, orderly manner. Much happier than in isolation.
Thus, Aristotle theorized that a small state or republic is the best place for humans to thrive. He employed the term “polis” to refer to such a political structure. In Aristotelian philosophy, a polis means a small state with a population of about 300.000 persons.
Aristotle’s views on human nature are consistent and highly motivating. They delineate a detailed path to happiness. It is up to you to study the theory and put it into practice day after day.
If you are interested in applying Aristotle’s ideas to solving today’s problems, I recommend you my book “The Philosophy of Builders.”
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