The quest for man's ultimate moral end: A critical examination of self- realization in Aristotle's nicomachean ethics

Abstract

From tile dawn or Philosophy the question concerning the Summum Bonum or what is the same thing, concerning the foundation of morality. has been accounted the main problem in speculative thought. has occupied the most gifted intellects. and divided them into sects and schools, carrying on a vigorous warfare against one another. And after more than two thousand years the same discussions continue, philosophers are still ranged under the same contending banners and neither thinkers nor mankind at large seem nearer to being unanimous on the subject ....(J. S. Mill. Utilitarianism. liberty and Representative Govemment. 1863 .. PI) In the light of the above observation, it is evident that the problem of the ultimate moral purpose or end of human life, being essentially the basis of morality, is one that is perennial and has proved to be insurmountable over the centuries. As a problem that is central to human existence and destiny, it keeps on recurring from time to time and seems to defy absolute resolution. The above postulation by lS Mill is a legitimate affirmation that the fundamental question of the rationale of morality is indeed elusive and is still as open an area of speculative thought as it has always been.It therefore becomes imperative to undertake a comprehensive research with a view to establishing and determining whether there is an ultimate moral purpose or end in human life and what this would be if it were confirmed to be a reality. The greatest challenge in the research is to critically look into, and definitely ascertain the veracity of the notion of a Summum Bonum on the strength of the claims of the contending philosophers and lor their schools of thought. Of particular interest is the theory of self- realization as advanced by Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. Ascertaining the extent to which self - realization succeeds, in the Nicomachean Ethics, in addressing and resolving the problem of the purpose or end of human life constitutes a salient objective of the research. At the same time, the purpose of the research IS embodied in the sole hypothesis thus stated: that there is an ultimate moral purpose, end or goal in human life. First and foremost, the hypothesis has to be tested as it forms the kernel of the research. The critical process of testing the hypothesis has culminated in the conclusion that there is indeed an ultimate moral purpose in"human life. This conclusion however only marks the beginning of a far- reaching quest to determine what the nature of the hypothetical ultimate moral end would actually be. The stated objectives have to be realized within the context of the primary justification of the research which is to determine what the ultimate moral end is and particularly to critically examine and decisively establish the extent to which the theory of self- realization according to Aristotle would satisfy this goal. The type of study is a library research and therefore a theoretical undertaking which relies on the method of critical analysis of data. ln the quest to determine what the elusive ultimate moral end is, the dialectical approach has been adopted. This approach first entails an objective rendition of the arguments of specific philosophers and certain schools of thought and consequently subjecting the same to a critical examination and appraisal on the basis of the extent to which they satisfy the problem of the ultimate moral purpose in human life. Utilitarianism, Kant's duty for its own sake, self- realization in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and the concept of happiness have been all subjected to a critical review and each of them has been found to fall short of the stated objective in certain respects. In this regard, the first three have been were disqualified as being largely unsatisfactory . In the final analysis, the concept of happiness has been singled out as the ultimate moral end for man albeit in a modified sense. The main findings of the research are that there is indeed an ultimate moral purpose for man and that this end is none other than happiness which conforms to moral acts only. What is truly deemed as the ultimate moral end is really the form of happiness which is realized through moral means only. This is the end which men yearn for and strive to achieve in this life. More often than not they fail to realize it because they are patently ignorant of what it constitutes. The sublime form of happiness is a product of the morally conditioned way of life. The highest degree of happiness is therefore possible only through the agency of morality. Once human beings recognize that happiness essentially consists in, disagreements over this matter may hopefully cease. However, it is with the empirical and provisionally ultimate happiness of this life with which we are concerned. The transcendental, eternal happiness which is articulated by the theologians is one that is beyond our cognitive abilities and therefore unfathomable.