Writes Copper, "the Nicomachean Ethics, many hold, is the greatest work ever written on practical philosophy" (p. 126). The greatest portion of this appeal comes from Aristotle's ability to reconcile the cultivation of a pure, inner self with the promotion of the universal good of mankind as a whole (Cooper).
While Aristotle's conception of virtue can be a valuable practical guide on how to live one's life, his philosophy is not without major flaws. In particular, the idea that humans as a whole have a distinct function is questionable. Notes Sumner, "it is not at all strange to ask what the function is of a bricklayer or a kidney. But no answer comes readily to mind when we ask what the function is of a human being-or, for that matter a giraffe or a lichen" (p. 71). Writes Pritchett, "Aristotle's assertion that humans even have a function is optimistic or possibly reached by faulty assumptions." Further, he fails to effectively establish why humans must necessarily possess a function, and why the human function must necessarily be unique (Pritchett).
Given the complexity of human culture, individuals, and interactions, it seems intuitively wrong to assume that the functions of one human individual that create eudaimonia to would be the same as in another. Certainly, even ethical virtues, or 'excellences of character', may vary according to culture. For example, many Asian countries place a much larger emphasis on familial relationships than Western countries, which tend to value individuality above that of the family. Notes Harris, "We should be cautious about Aristotle's assumptions about the species-wide good, especially in regard to humans..." (p. 99).
In the same vein, Aristotle's argument that the distinct...
As Broadie notes, "Besides being rational, we are spiritual beings, responsive to beauty, imaginatively creative, capable of humour, pride and compassion, and of who knows what else that must be ethically relevant..." (p. 36). Thus, Aristotle's understanding of the function of human beings is likely largely incomplete.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Aristotle's treatment of virtue and the human function is a flawed, but practical guide to philosophy. Although Aristotle's argument that all humans share a distinct function limited to reason questionable, it nonetheless provides a useful guideline for living one's life.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Nicomanchean Ethics. Oxford University Press, 1998.
Broadie, Sarah. Ethics with Aristotle.
Oxford University Press, 1995.
Cooper, David E. World Philosophies: An Historical Introduction. Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Engstrom, Stephen. Aristotle, Kant, and the Stoics: Rethinking Happiness and Duty. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Harris, George W.
Agent-Centered Morality: An Aristotelian Alternative to Kantian Internalism. University of California Press, 1999.
Pritchett, Adrian. Human Function: Aristotle's Basis for Ethical Value. 09 November 2004. http://www.arches.uga.edu/~pritchea/value.pdf
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Supplement to Aristotle's Political Theory: Presuppositions of Aristotle's Politics. 09 November 2004. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-politics/supplement2.html
Sumner, L.W. Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics. Oxford University Press, 1999.
