The Validity Of Reason In Aristotle's Philosophy
Aristotle states that “the function of man is an activity of soul [based upon] a rational principle” seeming to say that reason is the most fundamental being of a person. We use reason to dictate every single thing we do. Why did someone eat a banana for a snack? Simply because they were hungry and needed to fill that hunger. Why did someone name a state Georgia? King George was the king of England at the time and the wanted to pay him tribute. There is reason behind everything we do whether the reasoning always makes sense from person to person. Nothing is ever done without reasoning. Epicurus would also agree with this view point. In his Principal Doctrines the sixteenth doctrine states, “Fortune but seldom interferes with the wise person;
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“Unlimited time and limited time afford an equal amount of pleasure, if we measure the limits of that pleasure by reason.” One could argue that this statement is flawed at its very beginning, seeing that in relation to the life span of a human one cannot even fathom unlimited time. If going on that path it can be said that they equal the same amount of pleasure because within the human capacity they are one in the same. Seeing that everything stems back to reason, without reason there would be no pleasure. Personally, I find listening to music very relaxing and a way to express my feelings which brings me pleasure. I listen to music to obtain that pleasure which is the reason behind that action. The same can be said for a person who enjoys skateboarding. They find pleasure when they are able to correctly do a trick or the feeling of being free when they are riding. Reasoning is the only way that pleasure is obtained through that action. Without reason nothing would ever occur which is a teaching believed by both Epicurus and Aristotle, leading to an emptiness of anything. Through both Aristotle and Epicurus one can amass that reasoning is the very basis of human nature. We do what we must and enjoy because of the reasoning behind it. If we are hungry we eat, if we are bored we play a game, if we want to feel happy we listen to our favorite song. Behind every action is a very basic reasoning for
“Unlimited time and limited time afford an equal amount of pleasure, if we measure the limits of that pleasure by reason.” One could argue that this statement is flawed at its very beginning, seeing that in relation to the life span of a human one cannot even fathom unlimited time. If going on that path it can be said that they equal the same amount of pleasure because within the human capacity they are one in the same. Seeing that everything stems back to reason, without reason there would be no pleasure. Personally, I find listening to music very relaxing and a way to express my feelings which brings me pleasure. I listen to music to obtain that pleasure which is the reason behind that action. The same can be said for a person who enjoys skateboarding. They find pleasure when they are able to correctly do a trick or the feeling of being free when they are riding. Reasoning is the only way that pleasure is obtained through that action. Without reason nothing would ever occur which is a teaching believed by both Epicurus and Aristotle, leading to an emptiness of anything. Through both Aristotle and Epicurus one can amass that reasoning is the very basis of human nature. We do what we must and enjoy because of the reasoning behind it. If we are hungry we eat, if we are bored we play a game, if we want to feel happy we listen to our favorite song. Behind every action is a very basic reasoning for