(124) The good, according to Aristotle, is the means towards the end, which is happiness.(125-26) Happiness is “ an activity…
and the second being “what sort of life should we live if we want to achieve that happiness?” Keeping these questions in mind I will discuss Aristotle’s definition of happiness and some of the lifestyles that he believes will ultimately lead to a happy life. In addition to this question, I will list a few of the major candidate lives, which candidate he thinks is best, and why he rejects the others. To…
Happiness as by Aristotle means, “happiness depends on ourselves”. Aristotle felt that happiness was the central and reason to humanity. As well not just happiness but Aristotle had another thought, “virtue”, as explained in class virtue, meaning to have good morals and also good character. Being happy through ones lifetime, having good health, having healthy relationships and also being well off financially, having good knowledge and so on.…
Verbatim, Aristotle says, “for the good is spoken of in relation to what something is; as for what sort of thing something is, the good is spoken of as virtues; as for how much something is, it is spoken of as the measured amount; in its relation to something, as what is useful; as regards time, as the opportune moment; as regards place, as the right location; and other things of this sort“(Nic. Ethics 1096a19-23). In summary, Aristotle is providing his readers with evidence that the ‘good’ is circumstantial, and perhaps individually-based. Ergo, the ‘good’ is apparently complete; happiness is self-sufficient. Extrapolating from happiness existing as a complete end, Aristotle introduces the term ergon, which translates to “work,” in english.…
An individual can achieve happiness, Aristotle explained, by “…recognizing one’s defining essence, and functioning to fulfill it” (Fiero 99). In Aristotle’s doctrine, Nicomachean Ethics, he states the following: “perhaps, however, it seems a truth which is generally admitted, that happiness is the supreme good… The best way of arriving at such a definition will probably be to ascertain the function of Man” (Fiero 99). The previous quotes prove that he believed happiness was the true good and that it can be achieved through fulfilling one’s purpose. Aristotle also believed that any individual that practiced reasoning would then reach their excellence.…
However, I disagree with Aristotle on what is happiness and how to achieve it. Instead of living a virtuous life, happiness, to me, means living a comfortable life filled with pleasure and love. I believe that happiness is the highest good because everything we do in life is in the pursuit of it. Like Aristotle states in Nicomachean…
Happiness is final and self- sufficient, Aristotle says, and has a function for…
In philosophy there are many stands to take when it comes to a view of topic shared and discovered by many. Specifically, there are three philosophers that have differing ideas on the role of pleasure in morality, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. They share and clarify their positions through a plethora of titles and information that will help a reader gain a better understanding of the role of pleasure in morality. Though each philosopher has their own share of ideas of what the highest good represents, they all believe in morality being the search for the highest good. Aristotle begins with his description of happiness as fulfillment of all desires, in accordance with compliance of virtue.…
Happiness, as defined by Aristotle is the complete good for a human being. While this definition is generally accepted, views about what to…
Aristotle’s Ethics Book I obtains copious themes and ideas relevant to classical political theory. One of the most abundant motifs is happiness and how it impacts humans of all stages. As seen in this book, happiness is not always clear cut; therefore, the ability of humans to achieve this marvel of completeness is often disputed. While virtue and honor are acceptable candidates for this vague idea, happiness must be the good. We only strive for these attributes in order to make ourselves happy; thus, happiness is good (Aristotle, 2002, p. 3).…
5). Aristotle introduces the concept of happiness in relation to the motive and purpose present for decision-making and choices. Happiness is associated to the good that ‘choice’ and ‘knowledge’ partially…
In other words, human should always be good. Not agreeing with his ideas, Aristotle believes that happiness is the most important thing that one should strive for in one’s life. As he said “happiness is apparently something complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of the things achievable in action.” (Aristotle, p.8). He believes that happiness is the best good of life and we all ultimately seek for it.…
In the the first book of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle seeks to find the highest good of all human beings. In the process of deciding that the highest good is happiness, Aristotle ends up discarding certain entities, such as pleasure and honor, of being candidates for the highest good. In Aristotle’s discussion of the goods we seek, he rather quickly disregards pleasure as a possible highest good. In Bk. 1.…
Finally, I will conclude this essay with my own thoughts on happiness. Let us begin by analyzing the similarities and differences of happiness according to Aristotle and Seneca. Happiness for Aristotle is something that should be desired in and of itself. Meaning, we adopt relative goods or means to happiness because we choose these goods for the sake of…
Book 8, Section 2 – “Love for a soulless thing is not called friendship, since there is no mutual loving, and you do not wish good to it. For it would presumably be ridiculous to wish good things to wine; the most you wish is its preservation so that you can have it. To a friend, however, it is said, you must wish goods for his own sake” (Aristotle, 426). Premise 1: Friendship requires mutual loving.…