Anastasia Richardson
Professor Dluehosh
February 01, 2026
Human Nature - Short Reflection
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According to Aristotle, people strive to obtain something known as the “good life.” We
do so by focusing on our virtues. Virtues are an inculcated habit of mind that we must constantly
maintain in order to keep them. Based on the Greek word eudaimonia, meaning “blessed by the
gods”, our virtues help us flourish and achieve the “good life” that Aristotle mentions.
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Aristotle proved what his “good life” is by using something called the Function
Argument. It was his answer to what the “good life” is meant to be. He started by asking “What
kind of creature are we?” Then, he determined that “the good of a thing is always determined by
its [unique] function.” For humans, our unique function is our ability to reason or think about
things. This was the most important thing to Aristotle because he was a philosopher and his
whole role in society was to reason about questions and problems in the world.
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In my opinion, human nature is not just about who we are, but also how we treat others
relatively. It is about our morals and beliefs and where those are based from. For example, a
person with strong Christian beliefs would want to live a life that is Christ-like with God at the
center. This would be their moral motivation to be who they are in nature. However, an atheist
does not have the same belief system as a religious person might. They might have the same
morals and values but where those come from can vary. One person might feel in their heart that
murder is wrong and therefore will not commit it, but, another person might just not commit
murder for fear of breaking laws and getting in trouble.
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I would agree with Aristotle that reason is what keeps us human. However, I do not come
to that conclusion in the same way. I believe that our ability to reason and think for ourselves is
what makes us able to determine what is right and wrong. Society as a whole is able to challenge
predetermined beliefs and laws that may over time become out of date. When we are able to
reason, we challenge the structure of society’s morals and laws and make sure that they are truly
as just and right as possible.