re is no universal good. Aristotle must now fashion his own interpretation of what he calls the "highest" good. The highest good is ultimately the aim of all actions. "What is best appears to be something complete" (1097a29) and this must be self-sufficient in that, nothing can make it better. "Of this sort happiness seems most to be." (1097b)The next content to be discussed is the function of man. Aristotle tells us that our function is to live, and to do what we do humanly. We are to live in understanding and insight. We have reason, we act and we don't react. All fashions of human nature have to be lived thoughtfully from within. One is accountable and must act for one's own reasons and not another's. In essence, the function of man is to live ethically.The third content of Aristotle's statement is ethics. However to be more specific, I'll discuss what is ethically good. Living ethically good is contributing to the concept of happiness noted above. Ethics is not concerned with judging others. It is integrative rather than disintegrative. We act humanly, rather than tell and judge others on how they act. Thus ethics involves analyzing one's own inner landscape in the ongoing determination of what is right and wrong.The final subject to discuss regarding Aristotle's statement is ethical truth. Ethics has already been defined. Truth is an accurate description of the way things are. "For a carpenter and a geometer investigate the right angle in different ways; the former does so in so far as the right angle is useful for his work, while the latter inquires what it is or what sort of thing it is; for he is a spectator of the truth." (1098a29) Now that the good, the function of man, ethics and ethical truth have been examined, there can be a clearer understanding of Aristotle's statement.InternalIn searching for the human good, Aristotle suggests that it is worthwhile to determine whether human beings have a unique functi...
