Aristotle

Concerned with animals and their place on the hierarchical ladder of life, Aristotle dedicated part of his studies to determining where man stands in relation to zoology.  In dubbing humans as social animals, he concluded that humans are a species of animals, for most, if not all, animals have a natural instinct for social learning; some, as in the case of humans, are therefore at an elevated status to live as social and political animals (Beck et al., 2005).  Author Larry Arnhart argues that "what distinguishes human beings is that they are more political than other animals because of the human biological capacity for language, which allows human beings to organize communal life around shared verbal concepts of expediency and justice" (1994).  Thus, humans remain at the top of the ladder in social and political terms because they have the ability to work towards a common end in a more flexible and extensive way with the help of speech.  Language also allows humans to consider the "common advantage" in order to create a just society for all members, contrasting greatly with other animal communities where the advantage lies with the ruling group.  Humans are therefore brought together in this poltical life because in satsifies various natural impulses, including the need for moral and intellectual development (Arnhart, 1994).         

Because humans have distinguished themselves from other animals through language and just societies, a system of ethics must be in place that governs the behavior of people.  For more information on Aristotle and his ethical theories, visit Aristotle's Ethics listed in Stanford's Encyclopedia of Philosophy.