The Connection Between Metaphysics and Ethics in the Philosophy of Aristotle: the Concept of “Energy”

Abstract

The article analyses the paper of A.A. Sanzhenakov “The metaphysics of Aristotle as the basis of his ethics“. Special attention is given to his criticism against the “essential” method of research the connection between Aristotle’s metaphysics and ethics in the research literature. It is shown that this method doesn’t lead to a reduction of human nature solely to intellectual activity, as Sanzhenakov asserts. On the contrary, the concept of human “essence” as “quidditas”, according to Aristotle, includes several essential characteristics (rationality, speech, sociality). The article supports Sanzhenkov’s opinion the concept “energy” is key-concept to the ethics of Aristotle, but it is shown that the role of this concept is more meaningful. It expresses both the virtuous human act as self-valuable (exactly this is important for Sanzhenakov), and also the whole complexity of human as a being of body, thinking and social, and existing not only individually but at the generic level. In that way, the concept “energy” leads us not only to the concepts “disposition” and “virtue”, but also to concepts with communicative content: “communication” (homilia, koinonia), “friendship” and “friendliness” (philia). Accordingly, human nature is revealed more precisely. Therefore, the article proposes to consider the connection between metaphysics and ethics in a complex (i. e. taking into account the complex nature of human). In this case, the connecting link between metaphysics and ethics is anthropology, and the main methodological principle of research is to show how the metaphysical content of the concept “energy” becomes anthropological and ethical.