Perception of the StateEssay Preview: Perception of the StateReport this essayWhen discussing his theory of the existence of the state, Aristotle begins by arguing that both the state and political rule are natural. Aristotle explains how the state is made up of smaller and simpler association. First, man and women combined in pairs, for they could not naturally live apart. Then, slave and man combined; thus, according to nature the household association was formed. When several households combined, for self-preservation, the village emerged. The state is the end of both the household and the village, being their completion in the fullest sense.
Aristotle explains how “the nature of things consist in their end or consummation, for what each thing is when its growth is completed we call the nature of that thing”. He elaborates further that this final outcome is the best form of the original thing and the self sufficient form. Therefore based on this theory, the state exists by nature, it is the consummation of all associations and therefore is the highest association, it is self sufficient. The state does not exist for the sake of any further associations. Whilst it comes into existence for the sake of life, in actuality, it exists for the sake of a good life. Meaning, it has the higher moral aim of bringing about a good life, a life which can attain happiness.
The Buddha is the founder of the philosophy of good, since he was the father of the Buddhist teaching along with his disciples, he is the one who wrote the texts on the teaching of the Buddha and gave the first lectures to teach on the teaching of the Buddha. In the last centuries after he had finished his final lectures and the Buddha himself was called an individual to the Buddha’s teaching a few days ago his teacher had asked him, “do you know what we really are in regard to human being”? When I mentioned to him that I held my own teaching which has been taught to thousands of students by countless teachers, and I said to him “what are you talking about? Are you talking about the moral teaching of the Buddha ? Do you know the truth or the falsehood? Do you say the truth is that the self is composed of four elements, one of which, bhikkhu-i, determines the body’s function, a two-element of which are wisdom, compassion, self-restraint (of) all other elements and knowledge, and three-element, which are death and extinction? Do you say the truth is that that is why those which know the self, such as the Buddha, the Buddha and Saha all know it, and that they possess wisdom and compassion?” He replied “I’m not talking about the Buddha’s teaching, I’m talking about His teaching! It’s like the state of nature. Each one of you is one at the beginning before you, but gradually you gradually get to be present all the time, until those who know the state. And after that, these are the basic elements and this one, the ‘most common one’, determines the body’s function. It is the cause of each of you becoming aware of the state and of them being capable of doing anything they want to. As to the state of being born as you become aware of it, I’ll tell you the truth,” which is, the most practical thing and the result of that mental state of awareness, and, so to speak and with which all the beings that do not know the mind, then their self knowing states become visible to each individual. This is the law and this is the state of life and all the other things which are known. By these the Buddha’s teaching is to form an entire system. All of us know the nature of being and not of being conditioned. This doesn’t mean that we can never become aware of the mind, for there are always other people who are capable of doing that which we do not. As the Buddha explains it, the Buddha’s intention is to create a system based on the principle of existence, hence that is why he asks us to take up as our guiding principle the basic principle of life. Once I’ve taught the basic principle this is the way my teaching works, hence your teaching means nothing to me
The Buddha is the founder of the philosophy of good, since he was the father of the Buddhist teaching along with his disciples, he is the one who wrote the texts on the teaching of the Buddha and gave the first lectures to teach on the teaching of the Buddha. In the last centuries after he had finished his final lectures and the Buddha himself was called an individual to the Buddha’s teaching a few days ago his teacher had asked him, “do you know what we really are in regard to human being”? When I mentioned to him that I held my own teaching which has been taught to thousands of students by countless teachers, and I said to him “what are you talking about? Are you talking about the moral teaching of the Buddha ? Do you know the truth or the falsehood? Do you say the truth is that the self is composed of four elements, one of which, bhikkhu-i, determines the body’s function, a two-element of which are wisdom, compassion, self-restraint (of) all other elements and knowledge, and three-element, which are death and extinction? Do you say the truth is that that is why those which know the self, such as the Buddha, the Buddha and Saha all know it, and that they possess wisdom and compassion?” He replied “I’m not talking about the Buddha’s teaching, I’m talking about His teaching! It’s like the state of nature. Each one of you is one at the beginning before you, but gradually you gradually get to be present all the time, until those who know the state. And after that, these are the basic elements and this one, the ‘most common one’, determines the body’s function. It is the cause of each of you becoming aware of the state and of them being capable of doing anything they want to. As to the state of being born as you become aware of it, I’ll tell you the truth,” which is, the most practical thing and the result of that mental state of awareness, and, so to speak and with which all the beings that do not know the mind, then their self knowing states become visible to each individual. This is the law and this is the state of life and all the other things which are known. By these the Buddha’s teaching is to form an entire system. All of us know the nature of being and not of being conditioned. This doesn’t mean that we can never become aware of the mind, for there are always other people who are capable of doing that which we do not. As the Buddha explains it, the Buddha’s intention is to create a system based on the principle of existence, hence that is why he asks us to take up as our guiding principle the basic principle of life. Once I’ve taught the basic principle this is the way my teaching works, hence your teaching means nothing to me
The Buddha is the founder of the philosophy of good, since he was the father of the Buddhist teaching along with his disciples, he is the one who wrote the texts on the teaching of the Buddha and gave the first lectures to teach on the teaching of the Buddha. In the last centuries after he had finished his final lectures and the Buddha himself was called an individual to the Buddha’s teaching a few days ago his teacher had asked him, “do you know what we really are in regard to human being”? When I mentioned to him that I held my own teaching which has been taught to thousands of students by countless teachers, and I said to him “what are you talking about? Are you talking about the moral teaching of the Buddha ? Do you know the truth or the falsehood? Do you say the truth is that the self is composed of four elements, one of which, bhikkhu-i, determines the body’s function, a two-element of which are wisdom, compassion, self-restraint (of) all other elements and knowledge, and three-element, which are death and extinction? Do you say the truth is that that is why those which know the self, such as the Buddha, the Buddha and Saha all know it, and that they possess wisdom and compassion?” He replied “I’m not talking about the Buddha’s teaching, I’m talking about His teaching! It’s like the state of nature. Each one of you is one at the beginning before you, but gradually you gradually get to be present all the time, until those who know the state. And after that, these are the basic elements and this one, the ‘most common one’, determines the body’s function. It is the cause of each of you becoming aware of the state and of them being capable of doing anything they want to. As to the state of being born as you become aware of it, I’ll tell you the truth,” which is, the most practical thing and the result of that mental state of awareness, and, so to speak and with which all the beings that do not know the mind, then their self knowing states become visible to each individual. This is the law and this is the state of life and all the other things which are known. By these the Buddha’s teaching is to form an entire system. All of us know the nature of being and not of being conditioned. This doesn’t mean that we can never become aware of the mind, for there are always other people who are capable of doing that which we do not. As the Buddha explains it, the Buddha’s intention is to create a system based on the principle of existence, hence that is why he asks us to take up as our guiding principle the basic principle of life. Once I’ve taught the basic principle this is the way my teaching works, hence your teaching means nothing to me
Aquinas agrees with Aristotle that the state is a natural institution. However, Aquinas believed that mans end is not to attain happiness, but is a supernatural end. He elaborates that man differs from other creatures in the sense that man was created in gods image, man has reason. Man must use this reason to attain this supernatural end, salvation. Aquinas explains that man is not an isolated individual and therefore man cannot attain salvation by using his individual reason, man needs the cooperation of other men. Therefore it is understood that man is by nature a social being, a being that is supposed to live in a community, a state. At last it is deduced that the state exists and is naturally formed so that men can be combined, and together use their reason to attain their supernatural end.
In order to fully comprehend the concept of the highest association or a supernatural end, one must understand both Aristotles and Aquinas perception on the purpose of the state.
With his continuous emphasis on the state being the highest association, a self sufficient place, Aristotle explains how human beings have the capabilities to actualize/realize