Ergon argument
With his Ergon argument ( Nicomachean Ethics , Book I, Section 6), Aristotle tries to find the highest good, namely human happiness , by defining the human task more precisely.
Context and content
At the beginning of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle teleologically deduces the existence of a supreme good, in which all other goods participate ( perfection ) and which do not serve any other good ( self-sufficiency / self-sufficiency). This good is the ultimate goal and is commonly referred to as bliss or eudaimonia . The Ergon argument is now supposed to show the content of bliss.
The Greek word ergon denotes the specific function or task of a thing that is essential for that thing . The fact that something is “good” is defined, for example, by the application of its particularly good functionality or something is good because it fulfills its specific function in an optimal way. The ergon of a vacuum cleaner is its usefulness for room maintenance, a good vacuum cleaner is one that is excellent at cleaning a room. With the lamp the ergon is the ability to shine, with the knife the ability to cut, etc. Aristotle asks what the ergon of man could be. What is his own and specific ability through which his goodness can be defined and expressed?
According to Aristotle, in order to define the essence of man, the genus and the 'differentia specifica' must be determined. Since man is a living being by species, Aristotle tries to determine what distinguishes man from plants and animals. “Life is obviously something in common with plants, but we are looking for our own. (...) The next thing that comes into question is a life of perception, but man obviously shares that with (...) animals. So there remains only an active life of what reason (logos) has. "
Thus, the good for man found, because "if (...) we assume the task of man is a living, namely, being active and the actions of the soul with reason that the good people but, this good and commendable way to do (...), then human good turns out to be the activity of the soul in accordance with goodness. ”Hence, human happiness can only be realized through a perfect, rational activity of the soul that encompasses the whole of life if possible.
criticism
Aristotle wonders whether humans, in contrast to carpenters, cobblers and individual parts of the human body, could have no function. Without drawing a concrete conclusion , he argues on the premise that humans actually have a function. An attack on this uncertain condition can therefore be a counter-argument.
Another possible point of criticism is the charge of speciesism . In particular, one can ask how and whether, according to Aristotle, people with intellectual disabilities are also able to use their ergon and thus become happy.
Third, Aristotle was accused of making a naturalistic fallacy with his Ergon argument . From the empirical fact that man is a being gifted with reason, one could not infer that he should also live according to reason. This represents an impermissible transition from being to ought.
literature
- Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics . Rowohlt, Reinbek 2006 ISBN 3499556510 (Translator Ursula Wolf)
- Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics . Reclam, Stuttgart 2003 ISBN 3-15-008586-1 (Translator: Franz Dirlmeier)
- Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics . dtv, Munich 2000 ISBN 3-423-30126-0 (Translator: Olof Gigon )
- Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics . F. Meiner, Hamburg 1985 ISBN 3-7873-0655-2 (Translator: Eugen Rolfes)
- Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics . Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf a. a. 2001 ISBN 3-7608-1725-4 (Greek-German edition)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ursula Wolf: Aristoteles' Nicomachean Ethics. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2002.