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Similarities Between Aristotle And Martin Seligman

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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.
Aristotle refers to the soul as a part of the human body and what its role is in pursuing true happiness …show more content…

He says that happiness has evolved over time and uses his theory to support it. Seligman is able to use some of Aristotle’s thoughts and use his science to portray his viewpoints and philosophies. In his book “Flourish”, Seligman identifies five endeavors crucial to human flourishing or happiness. They are positive emotion, engagement, good relationships, meaning and purpose in life, and accomplishment, also referred to as PERMA. Seligman believes that these five elements can help people reach a life of fulfillment, happiness, and meaning. Basically, Seligman says human beings desire to flourish; in addition to wanting happiness, they desire to be good at something, to have fulfilling relationships, and to have meaning in their lives (Flourish, page 16). Seligman’s theory strives to influence individuals and increase their psychological well-being. His positive psychology offers a unique view on mental health through focusing on individual strengths. The goal of positive psychology is to assist individuals in creating meaningful lives through the promotion of positive emotions, individual character strengths, as well as, happiness, as key components to optimal mental health. So happiness to Seligman is an important component and essential but it is not the ultimate end as Aristotle views

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