Final answer:
Aristotle’s philosophy proposes a hierarchy of activities based on the movement from potentiality to actuality, with each thing striving towards its 'final cause' or ultimate purpose. Human actions are included in this hierarchy, emphasizing activities that align with virtue and reason as leading to the fullest life, or eudaimonia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aristotle's view of the hierarchical nature of activities is based on the idea of movement from potentiality to actuality; things grow and strive to achieve their best state, which represents their completeness. In his works, particularly within the realm of ethics, Aristotle posited that living beings and inanimate objects alike have a purpose or an 'end goal,' which he referred to as the 'final cause.' The more fully something realizes its form and purpose – effectively moving from potentiality to actuality – the more completely it achieves its telos, thus partaking in a hierarchically structured universe where some activities and existences are 'higher' or more complete than others.
Aristotle's ethics further suggest that human beings should apply reason to their lives, engaging in activities that are in accordance with virtue, which will lead to human flourishing. This flourishing, or eudaimonia, is seen as the highest good and the ultimate aim of human life, suggesting a hierarchical ordering of not just substances but also of human actions and activities toward the best possible life.
The hierarchical nature of activities in Aristotle's philosophy indicates that everything has a particular role and function, determined by its form and purpose. Humans, having the unique ability to reason, are thus placed at a certain level in the hierarchy, with the potential to pursue higher activities of the intellect and virtue.