ipl-logo

Aristotle Research Paper

963 Words4 Pages

Aristotle is one of the brightest thinkers in the history of western philosophy. He was a student of Plato and the teacher of Alexander the Great. His works in ethics, political theory, metaphysics, and philosophy of nature were immensely influential and essential for his ancestors.
The «Nicomachean Ethics» is supposed the most influential work of Aristotle. The first book of the «Ethics» is dedicated to a theory of happiness. There Aristotle points out that majority of people identifies happiness with pleasure, «which is the reason why they love the life of enjoyment»1
. However, a pursuit neither of pleasure nor of wealth should become an aim of humanity. On the contrary, for Aristotle happiness is virtue activity which means that in order …show more content…

This statement might seem ridiculous: if eudaimonia could be gained by virtuous activity, why then lacking some other types of goods should have impact on one`s happiness?
In response to this question, Aristotle emphasizes that lack of other goods leads to a diminution of virtuous activity. As it is stated in the 10th chapter of the «Ethics», person is happy when he «lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life» 3
. What is more, happiness, from Aristotle`s point of view, means a final end.
Only at the end of the life one can find out, whether was the life happy or not.
Happiness is a long-lasting process of living in accordance with virtues. Grounding both on the information above and on Aristotle`s definition of happiness in the 7th chapter of the «Nicomachean Ethics», I can say that for human happiness it is necessary to live rationally and that eudaimonia is there where the soul acts in accordance with virtue4
.
In the paragraph above a lot was said about the importance of a virtue. Now it is essential to outline that Aristotle divides virtue into intellectual and …show more content…

The History of Western Philosophy – New York: Simon and Schuster, 1945. p.173
6 The Internet Classics Archive: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html
7
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/ are examples of moral virtue, while practical and theoretical wisdom illustrates intellectual virtues.
In the first book Aristotle distinguishes three types of life: the life of pleasure, the life of politics, and the life of philosopher. In the last book of the Ethics he describes each type of life more fully. The life of pleasure loses to other types of life due to its vulgarity. In the 6th chapter of the book X Aristotle writes that «we choose [pleasant amusements] not for the sake of other things; for we are injured rather than benefited by them, since we are led to neglect our bodies and our property»

Show More
Related
313 Words | 2 Pages

To do this I must first explain several concepts of Aristotle which are: (1) how he concludes that the human function is reason, (2) what he means by happiness and how it is the human good, and (3) why he believes that the activity of the soul must be virtuous to become

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

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).

Read More
1210 Words | 5 Pages

The Nicomachean Ethics begin with a simple concept-- everyone wants happiness. In Book 1 of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what happiness is and how to achieve ultimate happiness and good life. In the passage, 1097b22-1098a18, also known as the “function argument”, he further explores the happiness as the chief good concept by examining human function and the good that comes along. In this passage, Aristotle’s thesis is that the good of humans resides in human function of activity with reason (rational activity). From this thesis, we can imply that the good performance of function can lead to ultimate happiness.

Read More
292 Words | 2 Pages

In chapter seven, Aristotle seeks to clarify two key points in the chapter. The first key point is the reasons why we should agree with the generally agreed sentiment that ‘happiness is the best good’ and the second key point is what the best good is. Aristotle first says that the claim ‘happiness is the best good’ is correct, but then he goes on to try to account for what happiness would be for a human being. He questions what is good of each action or craft. If there is some end to everything achievable then it is the end.

Read More
1642 Words | 7 Pages

The main topic of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is eudaimonia, i.e. happiness in the “living well” or “flourishing” sense (terms I will be using interchangeably). In this paper, I will present Aristotle’s view on the role of external goods and fortune for the achievement of happiness. I will argue that he considers them a prerequisite for virtue. Their contribution to happiness is indirect, via the way they affect how we can engage in rational activity according to the relevant virtues. I will then object that this view threatens to make his overall account of happiness incoherent.

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

Aristotle discusses four central views which are vital to eudaimonia being the ultimate human good. First, one must live a life bestowing to one’s function. Second, natural, honorable activity is essential for one to live a life of happiness. Third, one needs external goods such as wealth, power and friends in order to be happy. Finally, to live a life of happiness, one has to live a complete life in accordance with virtue in order to conclude that the person lived a happy

Read More
827 Words | 4 Pages

According to Aristotle, an individual can achieve happiness only by realizing all the works and activities in accordance with reason throughout his lifetime. He claimed that happiness consists in cultivating and exercising virtue and it is the ultimate purpose of human existence, as stated in his work Nicomachean Ethics “He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life”. However, such Aristotelian concept of happiness inevitably contradicts the understanding of history as development which maintains that fulfilling the work of human exceeds the limits of an individual and thus can only be achieved in the course of history. Three

Read More
728 Words | 3 Pages

Socrates, a well-known philosopher taught Plato, then Plato taught Aristotle. Many philosophers play an important role in today’s society because of the wisdom and knowledge they taught and is still being taught. I thought it would be interesting writing a paper on

Read More
1087 Words | 5 Pages

In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the concept of happiness is introduced as the ultimate good one can achieve in life as well as the ultimate goal of human existence. As Aristotle goes on to further define happiness, one can see that his concept is much different from the 21st-century view. Aristotelian happiness can be achieved through choosing to live the contemplative life, which would naturally encompass moralistic virtue. This differs significantly from the modern view of happiness, which is heavily reliant on material goods. To a person in the 21st-century, happiness is simply an emotional byproduct one experiences as a result of acquiring material goods.

Read More
1413 Words | 6 Pages

It is critical to recognize Mill’s argument that a degree of contentment can exist in periods of less happiness. However, Aristotle’s view of perceiving wellbeing or goodness as ultimate is more pronounced. Worth emphasizing, Aristotle deeply explores his arguments basing them on functions of a rational man and virtues out of habits. Today, a virtuous citizen is one whose actions are inward, in response to conscience and moral obligations as a member of society. Such a person, not waivered with intensities of pleasures, honor, and wealth but seeks to have a satisfactory level of happiness with friends, co-workers, and family among other

Read More
989 Words | 4 Pages

Aristotle is known as a pioneer of happiness being the main goal in life and this virtuous life being the ultimate prize. Aristotle believed

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

Many philosophers, notably Aristotle (384-322 BC), produced a list of things that comprise quality of life writing specifically about “the good life” and “living well” and how public policy can help to foster it. In his work, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explained that eudaimonia means “doing and living well” and he used this term in the context of the highest human good. His treatise also examined the character traits that human beings need in order to live their lives in the best way. Another philosopher Epicurus created ethical theory of hedonism. He identified the eudaemonic life as the life of pleasure where eudaimonia is a more or less continuous experience of pleasure, just as freedom from pain and

Read More
908 Words | 4 Pages

At the end of everyone’s lives, the goal appears to be about attaining happiness. Describing how to obtain happiness has been an issue that was debated in the past but is still talked about now . In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle expands on his view of happiness and he focuses particularly on how reason helps recognize and pursue what will lead to happiness and the good life. I feel that Aristotle’s philosophies on happiness are important works within the field of philosophy and he considered one of the………of it . In this paper, I will explore Aristotle’s beliefs regarding happiness then compare and contrast them to those of Martin Seligman.

Read More
954 Words | 4 Pages

Aristotle advanced the philosophy of ethics, where he demonstrated that it is a means of achieving an end to happiness. However, happiness means many things to different people. To Aristotle, the most adequate way to pursue happiness is through the virtue of excellence. In his writings, Aristotle connected his therory of virtue to economics, and leadership as well. It is a matter of connecting ones personal ethics to that of ones business ethics.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

For Aristotle, happiness is the end and purpose of human existence. To pursue happiness is to go for telos. Happiness is neither pleasure nor virtue, but an exercise of virtue. Happiness cannot be achieved until the end of one’s life. Hence, it is a goal not a temporary state.

Read More

More about Aristotle Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document