ABSTRACT
Aristotle’s philosophy is at odds with the Christian doctrines that were to develop later: that the Universe is created by god; that the soul survives bodily death, and that man needs God in order to know. Aristotle was a systematic thinker—his works forming a unified whole. Aristotle’s theory of the soul depends upon his ideas on nature; his theory of the human good depends upon his ideas of the human soul; and his theory of politics depends upon his idea of the human good. Aristotle’s ethical theory, his theory about what is good for human beings, rests upon his theory of the soul. Aristotle says that it is reason and thinking that is not only unique to humans but also comes last in the development of a human being. Think of the development of a baby into an adult. Surely reason is not possessed in infancy, but is only fully developed in adulthood.
