Aristotles Eudaimonia - 1627 Words

ARISTOTLES EUDAIMONIA Eudaimonia stands for happiness in Greek. Aristotle argues that the highest good for human beings is happiness. He insists that every action performed by humans is to pursue happiness. Aristotle also argues that human action is always aimed at some end or good. This good may not be viewed as a good action or any good by others, but for the doer of the action (good), the activity will be perceived as good and that it will bring a favorable outcome. Aristotle also said that all of our actions resulting in ends or goods form a hierarchy. This hierarchy, incorporates a ladder of things, and this ladder would categorize things according to their importance. And the most important thing would be on top of the†¦show more content†¦In the end, Aristotle argues that [the best life or the happiest life is a life where the agent does everything or lives their life for the sole purpose of philosophical contemplation]5. He also wrote that a person must be fully intelligent, in order to l ive a life of happiness, since life is an activity of virtues. This excluded babies, because of their age they cant participate in the activity and it also excluded animals for the same reasoning. In the course of reading Nicomachean Ethics Book I, one of the problems I have encountered is the generalizations that Socrates makes about happiness. He says that the highest activity must be in accordance with the virtue. So these virtues are being defined as being virtues only if they lead to happiness. But what about virtues that exist but dont lead to happiness or maybe they can not be explained as leading to happiness. For example courage or justice. Somebody can be courageous naturally, then does this mean then they dont have a happy life? The second problem I have come across is that Aristotle said that in order to profit from the study he undertook, one must already have been brought up in good habits. Then he means that his audience must consist of people who already have retained virtues. This would very much limit the audience. It would not address people who have doubts or are not sure about the values of traditional virtues and have notShow MoreRelatedAristotles Theory of the Good Life968 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Aristotle, the good life is the happy life, as he believes happiness is an end in itself. In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle develops a theory of the good life, also known as eudaimonia, for humans. Eudaimonia is perhaps best translated as flourishing or living well and doing well. Therefore, when Aristotle addresses the good life as the happy life, he does not mean that the good life is simply one of feeling happy or amused. Rather, the good life for a person is the active lifeRead More Essay on Aristotles Notion on Eudaimonia and Virtue 1550 Words   |  7 Pagesinterest to be virtuous . I will do this by first describing Aristotle’s notion on both eudaimonia and virtue , as well as highlighting the intimate relationship between the two . Secondly I will talk about the human role in society. Thirdly I will describe the intrinsic tie between human actions . Finally I will share the importance of performing activities virtuously . The central notion of Aristotle is eudaimonia or â€Å"happiness† which is best translated as a flourishing human life . Happiness is aRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Happiness By Aristotle1156 Words   |  5 Pages The pursuit of happiness is the reason for our existence (Aristotle, 2004) The Greek word that usually gets translated as happiness is eudaimonia, and like most translations from ancient languages, there is a loss of deeper meaning in translation. According to Aristotle happiness (eudaimonia) is the central purpose of human life and a goal in itself (Aristotle, 2004) (Creed, Wardman 1963). Because of this ideology, Aristotle devoted much of his time discussing and explaining this philosophy (HughesRead MoreAristotle s Views On Human Happiness1022 Words   |  5 Pages2 -PURPOSE OF HAPPINESS For Aristotle, happiness was related to a natural function. He argued that if we as human fulfilled our natural function/purpose then we will be able to be happy and â€Å"want for nothing at all† (page 91). Aristotle believed that human happiness refers to the function most proper to the human should and essentially the function must be exclusive to human. He argues that this supposed function is a practical aspect of life that comes from the rational part within humans. The useRead MoreAristotle s Understanding Of Happiness2511 Words   |  11 Pagesprocesses; what a thing is ‘meant to be’ as ‘having it’s end within itself.’ Aristotle also described entelechy as the soul. He believed that virtues led to happiness, and virtues meant the act of achieving balance and moderation. â€Å"A good life is one that provides all the necessary conditions and opportunities for a person to become fully himself or herself – and one in which the per son has the character to do so†(Soccio, 2010). Aristotle talked about achieving happiness, not in an emotional state; but itRead MoreErgon, Eudaimonia, Psyche in Artistotle ´s De Amina742 Words   |  3 Pagesbenefit from the lesser to the greater and the greater to the lesser. Aristotle contends in the De Anima that the soul dwells in all living things and therefore all living things can know of fear, passions, virtues, and happiness that is found in the Nicomachean Ethics. Should the soul be conformable in the body or shape in which the soul (psyche) dwells and happiness (eudaimonia) issues from that form then all things according to Aristotle have a function (ergon); a function that is necessary for the survivalRead MoreVirtues Of Happiness Moral Ethics856 Words   |  4 PagesVirtues of Happiness Moral Ethics An individual’s virtue ethics does not depend on the society that they live in, the spirituality that they follow, or their culture/upbringing; but they depend exclusively on the individuals themselves. Aristotle introduced moral ethics theory in his Nicomachean Ethics books. The idea of ethics is questioning long term goals, ‘what sort of person do I want to be’ instead of instantaneous decisions that question ‘what should I do in this situation?’ Virtues areRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Aristotle2772 Words   |  12 PagesJohn Stuart Mill and Aristotle both address the idea of happiness as the goal of human life. They explain that all human action is at the foundation of their moral theories. Mill addresses the Greatest Happiness Principle, which is the greatest amount of pleasure to the least amount of pain. Similarly, Aristotle addresses happiness through the idea of eudaimonia and human flourishing. According to Aristotle, eudaimonia is hap piness, it is the state of contemplation that individuals are in whenRead MoreThe Human Function as It Pertains to Happiness Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesThe Human Function as it Pertains to Happiness Humans have a function, according to Aristotle, and so it would follow that fulfilling that function makes us happy. Before we can establish that fulfilment of purpose results in happiness, we must first establish what the human function actually is, and also what constitutes good and happiness for humans. Aristotle’s arguments for happiness and human purpose help to provide answers to these questions, though as with all philosophical topics there areRead MoreHappiness Is an Activity Essay1287 Words   |  6 Pagesthis paper I will discuss Aristotle’s claim that happiness is a kind of activity and not a momentary pleasure. Some people might worry that Aristotle is wrong in making this claim by presuming that happiness is a state of mind rather than a constant pursuit in which a person must actively strive for throughout the entirety of ones life. I will argue that Aristotle is correct when he declares that happiness is a kind of activity that we strive for and ultimate ly attain throughout the entirety of our