Aristotle & Hume Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aristotle & Hume - Term Paper Example Passion is a feeling which has no boundaries, if aroused naturally and authentically in an individual. Hume understands the concepts and elements of life as he is a deep thinker and has contemplated on life and human psychology in various ways. Here the intention is to comprehend the statement of Hume and interpret it with one of the greatest Greek philosophers the world has seen, Aristotle. The view of Aristotle is distinctive and unique and can be contradictory or resembling to that of Hume. The attempt here is to argumentatively interpret the statement by Hume and convey how Aristotle would converse regarding this issue. Passion being a natural feeling cannot be influenced or affected by other qualities or personality traits of human being. People can analyze the feeling and reciprocate on it in varied ways, but it really depends on the philosophical perspective and reasoning ability of a philosopher. Here the perspective and argumentative stand of Hume and Aristotle would bring a bout more of depth to the thinking ability and philosophical values of both. Arguments Passion is natural and contradictory to reasoning Aristotle, as an intellectual thinker and philosopher, connects virtue to feelings. Passion is an aggressive and intense feeling of human being. Aristotle was of the opinion that with intellectual thinking intellectual virtues like wisdom, reasoning and intellectual skills are connected; on the other hand, moralistic virtues are related to one of the component of soul where feelings reside. If a person holds a pure soul, then he would be morally ideal and realistically passionate. Passion is attached to soul; it is a feeling arising from the inner most depth of a human soul and heart. A person who possesses high intelligence needs not necessarily have a passionate soul or heart. According to Morgan, â€Å"[f]or when the beings are of different kinds, the parts of the soul naturally suited are of different kinds, since the parts possess knowledge b y being somehow similar appropriate† (Morgan 307). It is normally observed that a person with intelligence and a high reasoning ability focuses more on analytical facts and gives importance to brain faculty rather than desire. Here we can understand that Hume’s ideology and Aristotle’s perspective match in a positive manner. Aristotle would totally agree with Hume and would proclaim that passion in no way can be combatted by reasoning. Reasoning is a quality of physical body whereas passion is both spiritual and physical and can surpass reason in all manners. Aristotle would postulate the fact that passion, as a strong feeling, could change a man’s thinking and reasoning ability to a great extent. Aristotle would further suggest that a man who is passionately evoked cannot be tethered by reasoning or intelligence as he is completely surrendered to the soul. A soul is the ultimate powerhouse of a human being, and when enslaved to soul, no intelligence can r ule the mental status of a person. Reason is an egoistic value and passion a natural feeling Aristotle, being a soul lover, would comment to Hume that soul is the universal energy, and nothing in the world which is related to ego can fight with it. Passion is the essence of a soul, and a man, being a soul enriched being, can be overwhelmingly overtaken by passion. Reasoning is a component of soul, but it is not a moralistic virtue even though it is a virtue. Aristotle would continue that all virtues are not idealistic, and