Aristotle's Teleological Frameworks

In his book Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle outlines a teleological framework as a way of understanding human activity. As a part of this framework, Aristotle suggests that there is an ‘ultimate end’ which is the goal of this human activity. For the purpose of this paper, I begin by reconstructing Aristotle’s teleological framework, and its relationship with the idea of an ‘ultimate end’. I will then go on to argue that while the framework offers one understanding of human activity, that it does not offer a complete explanation of happiness as the ultimate end, nor that humans necessarily have a function.
Aristotle begins setting up his framework by exploring different explanations for all purposeful human activity. One such theory could be
This can be done by discovering the function of a human being. It is through achieving one’s function that a person can be said to be acting with virtue, and in living and doing well (1.7.10). Aristotle addresses this by asserting “…both the many and the cultivated call it happiness, and they suppose that living well and doing well are the same as being happy” (1.4.2). From this, it can be understood that to Aristotle, the ultimate end is happiness. Additionally, happiness is good in and of itself, and not because it is instrumental in achieving some other good. Aristotle understands that there are many ways to achieve the good and as such, “the good cannot be some common and single universal” (1.6.3). It becomes important now to understand what is meant by “living well” and “doing well”. While there could be potentially many candidates, none of these are sufficient in themselves to achieving happiness. Here there is an important contrast between Plato and Aristotle. Plato would believe that virtue is sufficient for happiness, whereas Aristotle believes the opposite as misfortune may still befall a virtuous person, as some things are out of human
Given that Aristotle defines happiness as “a certain sort of activity of the soul in accordance with virtue” (1.9.7) this means that to achieve happiness one must be actively virtuous as well as living in a virtuous state. Aristotle also claims that one must find such activities to be enjoyable in order to make the actions genuine (1.8.13). There needs to be a balance in the enjoyment of these actions so that they are not done only to achieve idle pleasure, but also to encourage further virtuous activity. Thus, by living a life of active virtue, one can move towards achieving happiness and the ultimate end.
While Aristotle does offer a detailed teleological framework that supports that human activity is in pursuit of an ultimate end I do not think that Aristotle is successful in explaining why happiness must be the ultimate end. Other scholars have suggested that there could be other ends that humans are working towards that are separate from happiness, as there could be other things valued as goods in themselves. Similarly, Aristotle seems to hold a contentious view in Nichomachean Ethics that there are multiple ways of attaining happiness in a human