Aristotle, Aquinas, and Hume: Perspectives on Human Nature
Aristotle: Human Beings, Indissoluble Unity of Body and Soul
In contrast to the theory of the world of ideas of his teacher Plato, Aristotle argued that the sensible world only exists, in which all beings are individual and are composed of matter and form (hilemorphic theory).
What is Humankind?
The body (matter) and soul (form). The soul is immaterial and is the essence of humankind. The body and soul form a substantially inseparable unity and cannot exist separately. Therefore, if the body is mortal, so is the soul. In Aristotle, the soul is the vital principle; what is alive is different from what is inert because it has the capability of motion. All living beings have a soul, but not all souls have the same abilities or functions. According to Aristotle, there are three kinds of soul:
- Vegetative soul: near the plants.
- Sensitive soul: own of animals.
- Rational soul: specific to humans.
Human Nature
Human beings are a social animal who has to live in society to be fully realized. Secondly, it is a being endowed with language. Finally, a rational animal.
What is the Relationship Between the Rational Aspect and Passions?
Aristotle asserts that all living beings have a very specific function, and for human beings, it is to lead a life based on reason. That is, they reason, and not wishes or desires, to determine their actions. Acting irrationally is possible, but according to Aristotle, it is not the natural tendency in human beings.
Are We by Nature Good or Bad?
Aristotle believes that the goodness of a human being is in relation to reason (logos), habit (ethos), and passions (pathos). It is accomplished by trying to find a middle ground in relation to each action and human passion. It is also acquired through continuous exercise, a habit. Society collaborates in this task by providing the right conditions to do so.
Thomas Aquinas: The Christian Thought
Thomas Aquinas reinterprets the ideas of Aristotle to make them compatible with Christian faith. In his philosophy, there is an orderly and hierarchical chain of being, the highest point of which is occupied by God. According to Thomas Aquinas, the human soul can exist separately from the body.
What is Humankind?
It is composed of matter and form, made in the image and likeness of God. The soul is incorruptible and immortal. What is incorruptible is its ability to understand. This is what justifies other beings’ souls not being immortal. Despite the body being corruptible and a source of sin, it acquires great importance. The Christian idea of the resurrection of bodies after the final judgment appears. That is, after the separation of the soul from the body, at the end of time, the souls will meet separately with their bodies, which have been transformed and sanctified. This body is sanctified and fully dedicated to the contemplation of God, ceasing to be a source of sin. What is relevant is that, although the soul can continue to exist when the body dies, human nature needs both to reach its peak.
What Differentiates Humans from Other Living Beings?
Rationality. Life moves around the reason for contemplating God and achieving eternal happiness, which can be achieved in this life. The weight falls on life after death. The sense of transcendent existence. For Christians, this life is only a transit, a test that consists of choosing good and rejecting evil. Based on our actions, we are saved or condemned in the final judgment. Therefore, we introduce the Christian idea of free will. The freedom of human beings derives from their rationality, and because of it, they can choose between good and evil. Analyzing the different options and making our decisions makes us responsible for our actions. If we were not free, we would not be responsible or be prosecuted.
Human Nature
Human beings are born with a tendency to sin. The parts of the soul, which were originally in equilibrium (before the original sin), face each other, fighting to get what they want. When there is a conflict between reason and desire, and desire prevails over reason, sin appears.
David Hume in the Domain of the Passions
According to Hume, God, the soul, and the external world are unprovable and unknowable.
What is Man?
Hume criticizes the chance to prove the existence of a self (or soul) as a substance that may be different from the various activities that occur in our thinking. For Hume, the soul becomes an unprovable metaphysical assumption. However, we are conscious of our identity through the flow of perceptions we have of ourselves. Habit, custom, and memory are what enable us to meet and confer on them the same identity.
If the Soul Existed, Would it be Immortal?
We cannot prove it, but according to our experience, the activities and development of the soul are joined to the body, so if the soul exists, it dies with the body.
Human Nature
Hume assumes to try to describe the passions of human nature. It is enough to observe oneself to find trends that are common to our peers.
What is the Role of Reason and Desire in Humans?
Reason allows us to recognize that there are relations between things; however, it cannot determine us to act. Reason must be “the slave of passions,” as it is only useful to tell us what are the means we use to achieve what we want. Our preferences are determined by our desires and cannot be changed.
Are We by Nature Good or Bad?
Hume notes that, in certain ways or actions of others, a moral feeling is called forth. This feeling arises from our own nature that seeks its own pleasure but corrects the sense of “sympathy” with respect to our peers. Therefore, there is a balance.