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Aristotle Research Paper

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Aristotle is a well-known ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 384 B.C.E to 322 B.C.E. Aristotle was a student of another Greek philosopher, Plato. He was influenced by Plato’s thoughts and philosophy that made him get into his own work of philosophy. He’s known for his philosophy of math, biology, politics, and metaphysics. He is considered the father of logic, questioning human reasoning (The Father of Logic). Within his philosophy, Aristotle has a background with metaphysics, a theory of human nature and a solution for humanity. Although his philosophy is one of the most prodigious, there is still some weakness that lies within it, along with the right and wrong. He doesn’t mention how to obtain the excellent life that he mentions in …show more content…

He stated that pure happiness is what we need to get through life and please the soul. Eudaimonia is Aristotle’s word for happiness, having a good spirit. He states that Eudaimonia isn’t the subjective conception of happiness, it is beyond that. Humans have their everyday happiness, the happiness we get from accomplishments, the everyday feelings. Eudaimonia is beyond that state, it is being complete, fully, permanently happy with everything around you, and everything within you. Aristotle disagrees with the thought of happiness coming from wealth and power. To get that happiness, you should live an excellent life, live above and beyond. Aristotle says that most people fail to understand how to function correctly as a human being, which gets in the way of obtaining their happiness. They need to put the greed and the power aside and focus on their life, focus on living the excellent life. He expresses that the happiest human beings and souls are the ones who are wise and know how to reason, they are intellects. Human beings can develop learning and thinking skills to become that intellectual, to help their logical reasoning. One of the ways to achieve happiness is by the moral virtue. The moral virtue is knowing the moderation and balance between two extremes. It is either having too much excess, or too little, deficient. Another way Aristotle stated is to have the right …show more content…

Someone will want to achieve happiness, so they can change their habits around and their morals. Aristotle makes good connections between happiness and habits. It can help someone understand the difference between right and wrong, and challenges their thinking. It creates more thought, more effort, which leads to good reasoning and good actions. This can also help society, not just the individual. With the individual having good morals and habits, it contributes to society. It can inspire or motivate more people to become positive which then helps society. If a large society starts to contribute and change, it may help the overall

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Genuine happiness lies in action that leads to virtue according to Aristotle and this is seen

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On the contrary with Aristotle, right off the bat he says that most people will not reach true happiness. When one knows off the top that they will not accomplish something, one of two things will happen. They will either give up or they will push or work even harder. The question then changes for Aristotle from what is happiness, to will enough people challenge themselves enough to reach for the impossible? It is those people that push themselves harder that will reach true happiness.

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Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics begins by exploring ‘the good’. Book I argues that, unlike other goods, “happiness appears to be something complete and self-sufficient, and is, therefore, the end of actions” (10:1097b20-21). In other words, happiness is the ultimate good. But how does one achieve happiness? Aristotle formulates this in the context of work, since for all things, from artists to horses, “the good and the doing it well seem to be in the work” (10:1097b27-28).

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Thus, when human function is done well, it is in accordance with virtue and best human life is achieved. In addition, it can be inferred that since Aristotle’s definition of happiness is to be virtuous, performing rational activity well can lead to happiness. In addition, Aristotle states, “if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete” (1098a18). This means that eventually there will be one virtue that is inclusive of all virtue and that displays an end, and this virtue will be in line with the self-sufficient and inclusive concept of happiness as the chief good. If this inclusive virtue and good is achieved, ultimate happiness will be achieved as well.

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