Aristotles Concept of Happiness Essay - 1073 Words

In the work, Nicomachean Ethics, the philosopher Aristotle creates a guideline for those who are serious about pursuing happiness. Aristotles recommendations for finding happiness are not accepted today without some struggle and careful examination. In Aristotles time, slaves, women and children were not truly considered human; so in many cases the philosopher is directing his words towards free males only. It is necessary to understand that by overlooking this discrimination and applying it to all people, one can discover the timeless wisdom of Aristotle. To begin, one must learn what happiness means to Aristotle. He considers happiness to be simply the name of the good life. This is not to say that the good life produces†¦show more content†¦Only when these two aspects of the soul are engaged can one be closer to achieving happiness. Aristotle refutes elitist thinking by stating that all people have the capacity to reason within the soul. The good and bad characteristics in people come from the kinds of activities that they desire to undertake. Aristotle also generally defines the good life as simply doing what one wants to do, but happiness can only truly be achieved when one desires to do the correct things. The next topic to consider, then, is what kind of rational activities fulfill the purpose of a human being. Aristotle feels that as a human, one should actualize the capacities of the soul through activity. Here one encounters the debate of activity versus productivity. In current society, productivity is the measure of success, and activity for its own sake is rarely considered worthwhile. Aristotle does not believe in the importance of productivity relative to ones happiness. Instead, he feels that one should engage in activity for no external end or result whatsoever. Those activities that are chosen simply because of a desire to experience the activity are often the ones that bring the most happiness. Activities that have no product create a sense of existence for the one engaging in the activity. This, however, is not a product. Instead it is merely a way of defining or referring to the activity. An example of this kind of activity is conversation. If conversation occurs inS how MoreRelatedThe Role Of Happiness . â€Å"Happiness Is The Meaning And The1326 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of Happiness â€Å"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence† (Aristotle). In ethics, we study the place of morality in a social construct, where happiness is the core of ethical concern. Happiness for the individual, happiness for the majority, happiness for nature. What is the key to a happy life? Aristotle believes the key is eudaimonia, or a state of having a good soul or being in a contented state of being healthy, happy, and prosperousRead MoreThe Ethics Of Plato And Aristotle977 Words   |  4 Pages In this essay, I will be examining the ethics of Plato and Aristotle. I will explain the five fundamental concepts of Plato and Aristotle. I will focus on their theories on the good life as a life of justice, censorship, knowledge and the good life. I will first explain Plato’s ethics. Plato was a philosopher, both a rationalist and absolutist. According to Plato, people must be schooled to obtain certain kinds of knowledge for example mathematics, philosophy etc. The training will give themRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Juice 880 Words   |  4 Pagessought out explanations that were unorthodox. His principles of common sense were built on naturalism and self-realization, which greatly influenced the world. His systematic concept of logic touched upon ethics. As an illustration, in the movie â€Å"Juice,† some of Aristotle’s beliefs and principles on friendship, character, and happiness are heavily portrayed throughout the film. The movie â€Å"Juice,† is a story of four male teenage friends from Harlem. They’re causing trouble around the neighborhood and runningRead MoreThe Good Man Based on Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesThe Good Man Based on Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics Plato believed that a man could only become good by knowing the truth, and he could not know the truth without being good. This shows to be somewhat of a paradoxical argument. On the other hand, Aristotle had a different theory regarding the goodness of man. Aristotle claimed that the good man was the norm and the measure of ethical truth. Pertaining to Aristotles definitions, in this essay I will explain the meaning of the previous statementRead MoreExamining the Ethics of Plato and Aristotle Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay will be examining the ethics of Plato (428-347 BCE) and Aristotle (384-322 B.C). I will firstly attempt to summarise the five fundamental concepts of Plato and Aristotle before providing my own opinion and view on their ethics. I will concentrate on their theories on the good life as a life of justice, censorship, knowledge and the good life. I will first examine Plato’s ethics. Plato was a philosopher who was both a rationalist and absolutist. According to his view, people must beRead 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 MoreAristotle s Theory Of Happiness1651 Words   |  7 PagesLife Happiness is one of the biggest subjects that have the most influence in a person’s life in today’s world. People have discovered that happiness is actually related to multiple benefits of our mental and physical health. Every person wants to experience true happiness throughout his/her life. Nevertheless, everyone is suffering finding sustainable happiness. Aristotle, in his work called Nicomachean Ethics, presents the concept that living a virtuous life will produce sustainable happiness forRead MoreThe Aristotle And Immanuel Kant1655 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle believes that pleasure can be included when preforming an action; while Kant believes that a duty is preforming the right action without the need of inclinations. In this paper, I will present a similarity and difference between Aristotle’s concept of a virtuous act and Kant’s discussion of dutiful action. In The Nicomachean Ethics, The source of a virtuous action happens when your passions and thoughts are balanced. It is balanced when there is a middle ground between excess and a deficiencyRead MoreThe Nature of Man as Political Animal Essay1723 Words   |  7 Pages Not everyone will agree with Aristotles political theory, but it is essential to understand the principals that underline the new political theories. Aristotles politics is one of the most influential books of political philosophy. His main ideology consists in that a man is by nature a political animal because he can reason and communicate with others, therefore, has the potential to alter or change his living conditions for better because he can recognize the difference from right or wrong.Read MoreIs Torture Morally Wrong?1265 Words   |  6 Pagespunish or in timidate them or to extract information from them† (Vaughn, 604). The thought of torture can be a means of promoting justice by using both the Utilitarian view and the Aristotelian view. Using John Stuart Mills concept of utilitarianism, he focuses on the greatest happiness principle which helps us understand his perspective on torture and whether he believes it is acceptable to do so, and Aristotle uses the method of virtue of ethics to helps us better understand if he is for torture. The