PHILOS 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Rational Animal, Rationality, Fetus
Document Summary
Question: what are we as humans according to aristotle. Aristotle had the idea that what we essentially are is that we are rational animals. What is essential for people to be like us. Rational animal: is some kind of definition. The definition aims at defining something by saying what kind it belongs to and what difference is special in that kind. We are an animal but we are different because we are rational. Animal is the genus that we belong. Out of all the animals, humans have the property of reason. Rationale: this is the specific difference to our kind. If this works then this has worked in separating us from other animals. We don"t really know what it is to be an animal or to be rational. It is not the information we are looking for when we try to describe what is essential to be human. Tries to say that animals is a special kind of living being.
