In researching information about Aristotle, I found many articles that proclaimed him to be the greatest philosopher of the ancient world. I thought about other philosophers we have studied this semester, especially Socrates and as I compared them to each other, I was surprised to find how different their philosophical methods are. Socrates played the role of Aristotle's mentor yet they were very different thinkers. Socrates believed in proving things by math and science while Aristotle took a more spiritual approach and believed that everything could be formed from above. Aristotle taught many things but there was one that especially fascinated me, it was something he referred to as entelechy.
Entelechy is the belief that everything living or nonliving serves a purpose in the world. Even things as simple as a rock serve a purpose. All things, good and bad, have an entelechy. It is an inborn purpose for being, a destiny for all things.
Timeless and spaceless (2007-06-189)
Timeless and spaceless (2007-06-196)
AristotleThe entelechy of an object is designed to be whatever the best use for that object could be. An example would be that someone's entelechy would be teaching, and that person would then grow up to study, learn to teach and then tread the path of a teacher. His purpose, his entelechy, was to become the best teacher he could be.
In becoming this person who is pursuing the path of life for which they are designed, terms like moralistic or religious really would not apply to someone becoming fully complete. Since an early age, I have been taught that "fullness" of life, to be complete, comes from a closer walk with God. I cannot imagine a life that would not use Christ as a cornerstone and foundation to build upon. I believe that to not have religious beliefs of some sort, would...