On the capability of Aristotle’s ethics to become the first philosophy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem of the relationship of ethics and metaphysics. The majority of the researchers believe that metaphysics precedes and determines ethics. It means that key concepts of ethics are based on the concepts of metaphysics. In Aristotle’s philosophy such metaphysical concepts are the “essence”, “form” and “activity” or “actuality”. The difficult question is whether ethics can be the first philosophy. The author identifies four criteria that Aristotle’s ethics must meet in order to be the first philosophy. Ethics must (1) deal with the first principles and causes, (2) give the universal knowledge, (3) deal with the most valuable subject, (4) be a commander discipline. It is obvious that the part of ethics that concerns moral virtues does not meet these criteria. However, the first philosophy is closer to that part of ethics, which concerns the intellectual virtues, and especially it concerns sophia – the highest virtues of the rational part of the soul. In this case, we can speak about merging of ethical and metaphysical discourses.