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Essays on the problem with ethical relativism
Aristotle on the nature of happiness
Essays on the problem with ethical relativism
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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
It is important to want to obtain true happiness instead of just having it
A study conducted by San Francisco State University was that money does have a factor on one´s happiness. But what the money is being spent on is not material objects, instead it is experiences that are being bought. One of the experiences that the students at the college purchased was a meal out. Now what a meal out gives a person is a feeling of activity in one's life and having social contracted with someone else, which a material possession would not be able to do. What this experience also provides is a memory which one might never forget because they had such a good time.
To explain happiness, Aristotle begins with the concept of good and questions what the definition of good really is. He defines good as the sake of which everything else is done, or the end and purpose of the particular activity in question. Good is always something specific and different for every action and arts. The example of architecture is provided, in which a house is the final purpose, making it the good. He further explains that the final end for anything we do, this is the good or goods achieved by the action if more than one.
Aristotle’s Philosophical Views in Groundhog Day The philosopher’s idea that best fit the movie Groundhog Day is Aristotle. The reoccurring issues throughout the movie is self-fulfillment and happiness. The leading character Phil struggles to be happy with himself and his life and he is what we consider a “half empty” character. However, unlike many of us who shares the same characteristics as Phil, he has the opportunity to relive the day until he gets it right.
These different types of prominent lives show that people with higher and superior standards identify happiness with different types of honor. Aristotle states that “it seems to be superficial what we are looking for”, reason being, men sometimes pursue honor solely to assure their goodness, whereas some men pursue honor because virtue is important to them (Aristotle 146). Aristotle reiterates that the goodness people seek can differ in different actions and arts. For instance, Aristotle states that the goodness someone can seek is different in medicine and strategy; “in medicine this is health, in strategy victory” (Aristotle 147).
Our happiness is dependant on the choices we make. Aristotle then explains how our choices are determined by our character or ethos. However, this does not mean that the ethics help determine right from wrong, but more shows us how to live a virtuous and happy life. This happiness for Aristotle expands far beyond just the personal sphere, but extends into the group or
By the same token, he believes that all activities lead to Happiness and therefore should be executed in an excellent way. In light of these prior discussions, Aristotle contemplates the role of pleasure in respect to happiness in Part 4 of the Ethics. Originally, Aristotle considered pleasure to be a “sphere of action” in which temperance
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.
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
People miss the fact that happiness comes from within. In an attempt to find joy – we must also be cautious about over excessive desire to acquire material objects and wealth. There is a delicate balance that must be reached between the pursuit of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment. While there are many conditions that fulfill ones emotional wellbeing, happiness and how we acquired it, depends upon the
But while each of these has some value, none of them can occupy the place of the good for which humanity should be aiming for. A Greek philosopher named Aristotle defined happiness as, “the supreme good that supplies the purpose, and measures
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.
In order to do this, we need to 'know thyself ' and become as learned as we can, knowing the good for all, while also being humble. We are all naturally good people, so we must promote the good in the world. According to Aristotle, however, happiness, his goal for all humans is not that easy to obtain. He claims that "happiness is a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with virtue (Aristotle, p.12). On the Aristotelian model of how to obtain happiness, it deals a great deal with the issue of particulars.
Happiness can be defined in many different ways depending on who you are talking to. To me, it can be found listening to my favorite music with the volume turned all the way up. Through this experience I am able to immerse myself in something I truly love and be a be a better, lighter version of myself. For some, happiness is living in the moment and experiencing life as it passes, but for others it means living a life of virtue. Though happiness may look different for everyone, it is something that everyone is striving for.
