Explain What Does It Mean To Be In Search Of The Good Aristotle

What does it mean to be ‘in search of the good’? Generally, the search of the good can be defined as the development of skills to navigate through life in order to succeed in finding direction. One notable philosopher from ancient Greece by the name of Aristotle had some ideas on the moral and ethical aspects of searching for the good in life. Essentially, the rediscovery of Aristotle by a fellow philosopher Thomas Aquinas, through Arab scholars, allowed Aristotle’s ideas to become part of Catholic ethical reflection. Aristotle covered many essential topics on this; however, four specific theories stand out prominently; specifically, they are the pursuit of happiness, teleology, human excellence, and the mean.

Firstly, the fundamental argument of Aristotle’s ethics is that his first concern is not the individual;

This is known as teleology. He believed that the best way to understand why things are the way they are is to understand their purpose. For example, a teleological explanation of why a knife has a sharp blade is that this design allows humans to eat certain foods; cutting food to help humans eat is what knives are for. Aristotle’s emphasis on teleology implies that there is a reason for everything, including human life. As Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle recognizes that humans are essentially rational, which further highlights his theory that our final cause or purpose is to be rational. We must base our actions, as much as possible, on logic and reasoning. Our greatest capacity as humans is our intelligence and in following our internal compass is to develop this capacity. If we do this, we develop it not only in matter of science, but in practical life as well. Therefore, to act ethically is to engage our capacity to reason as we develop good