Derek Phillips
3/4/12
Philosophy
Take Home Essay 3, DUE 03/05
what is entelechy and how is it significant to Aristotle's ethics, specifically to his theory of virtue and
happiness?
Entelechy means that things do not just happen; they develop according to natural design. It
says that nature is ordered and guided internally. Aristotle explains to his audience that entelechy is a
“creative drive”. He says that “principles do not all make for the same goal, but each inner principle
always makes for the same goal of its own, if nothing interferes”. Entelechy explains that a acorn will
become a oak tree if all the conditions are right. The acorn however does not have the force to ensure
that it is dropped/placed in a area to do so. It may fall somewhere that is rocky or into a river bed,
where it will never become what it is intended to be, it will remain as an acorn. The acorn will never
become a cherry tree, because change only happens within substances. Humans are much more
complex than say a acorn. Human beings are much more complex than an acorn. Humans must remain
human beings and can fail to follow our own entelechy. Human beings are so complex it is very
common to live without full development. The areas in which the human lives must be perfect in the
sense that all conditions must help lead the human being to full development. This is significant to
Aristotle’s ethics, because he says that entelechy is soul. Aristotle says that one’s body is not a human
being without a human soul in his view. Sense there is various types of souls; there is no one definition
to explain them all. Aristotle believed that there are three types of souls; each is higher than the next.
The lowest type of soul is the nutritive soul, which absorbs matter from other things. The second level
of the soul is the sensitive soul, which registers information. The highest level of the soul is the rational
soul, which includes the first two souls as well as deliberation.
Entelechy is also significant to Aristotle’s theory of virtue and happiness. The Greeks believed
that virtue arête, was excellence of function, also happiness was referred to as function. Something is
happy if it is able to function fully to its own nature. Aristotle termed it that happiness came when that
something actualized or realized its function/entelechy. To live a good life you must be provided with
necessary conditions and opportunities that will allow the person to become himself or herself fully, but
the character must have the character to do so or even with it all it will not happen. For Aristotle
happiness is a quality of life here and now. It can’t be something for the hereafter according to him. If
you live in one extreme to the other you can’t be happy for it will not come. For example wealth will not
bring happiness, but poverty makes it impossible. Just as important as mental health is so is physical
health for no one can be happy in the fullest sense when they are chronically ill or mentally deficient.
Happiness will always contain an element of luck, no matter how great our efforts.