Aristotle's theology is too generous to pit human freedom as an antagonsit against the gods. And we all know that ethics had already walked the earth before Aristotle made his observations to separate humans from natural phenomena. That's where he noticed the real difference: we are not like soulless stones that can't be trained to roll up hill. i.e. we can habituate ourselves. And we don't hate stones for all that. On the other hand, habituation wasn't freedom wasn't enough to throw darts or chase gods out of the universe. Here's an interesting snippet on Aristotle's admiration of the divine:
If then God is always in that good state in which we sometimes are, this compels our wonder; and if in a better this compels it yet more. And God is in a better state. And life also belongs to God; for the actuality of thought is life, and God is that actuality; and god's self-dependent actuality is life most good and eternal. We say therefore that God is a living being, eternal, most good, so that life and duration continuous and eternal belongs to God; for this is God.Such a life is superior to one that is simply human, because someone lives thus [in complete happiness], not in so far as he is a human being, but in so far as there is some divine element within him. And the activity of this divine element is as much superior to that in accordance with the other kind of virtue as the element is superior to the compound. If the intellect, then, is something divine compared with the human being, the life in accordance with it will also be divine compared with human life. But we ought not to listen to those who exhort us, because we are human, to think of human things, or because we are mortal, think of mortal things. We ought rather to take on immortality as much as possible and do all that we can to live in accordance with the highest element within us; for even if its bulk is small, in its power and value it far exceeds everything.--Nicomachean Ethics Book 10.7 1177b
Cornelis -- I know Aristotle's "Ethics" extremely well; it's a kind of Bible for me. The Greek revolution was the philosophical focus on the natural ordering of the universe, the notion of moral absolutes based in man's nature as a rational being and the ability of humans to create their own moral character.
I like Aristotle's distinction between eudaemonia (translated 'happiness' or 'flourishing') and makareos (sp?) which mean's 'blessed.' One can create virtues in one's soul and still be happy at a deep level even in adverse situations. (Ayn Rand has Roark in 'Fountainhead' say of his pain that it only goes down so deep.) The blessed individual has a virtuous soul and circumstances in his/her favor.
Also note that for Aristotle, God was at base the prime mover, a principle to get the universe going and avoid an infinite regress. (See "Metaphysics.")
To the extent that we can get people in our society focusing on the lessons from Aristotle, the "Iliad" and other classical thinkers, we'll be returning to a civilization worthy of those great thinkers and writers.
Ed Hudgins