Aristotle says happiness
depends on ourselves (our choices) and that a genuinely happy life requires the
fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as
mental well-being. It is our ultimate goal or purpose as humans to achieve
happiness. Yet Aristotle says this isn’t something that can be obtained or lost
in a few hours (pleasurable sensations). From my understanding his view is that
happiness is the end goal that we cannot reach that until we have fully lived
our life and we obtain this goal of happiness by making choices throughout our life.
The right choices to better ourselves and to make yourself a good person. Which
should be somewhat a known standard. Health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc.
are virtues a person should display always throughout his or her life to obtain
the end goal of happiness. With making these choices throughout our life we are
“practicing”, getting better and better which is getting you closer and closer
to the goal of happiness. For such a simple word many people can relate to so
quickly and name something that makes them happy, it possesses a much deeper
meaning according to Aristotle. I do agree with this and how he defines
happiness as an end goal and that happiness is the perfection of human nature
that we have to strive for if we want to reach true happiness. In today’s
society we often confuse this meaning of happiness with temporary pleasure. Note
also that it is not enough to think about doing
the right thing, or even intend to do the right thing. We have to actually do
it. Thus, it is one thing to think of writing the great American novel, another
to actually write it. When we impose a form and order upon all those letters to
actually produce a compelling story or essay, we are manifesting our rational
potential, and the result of that is a sense of deep fulfillment. Or to take
another example, when we exercise our citizenship by voting, we are manifesting
our rational potential in yet another way, by taking responsibility for our
community. There are ways in which we can exercise our latent virtue in this
way, and it would seem that the fullest attainment of human happiness would be
one which brought all these ways together in a comprehensive rational
life-plan.
So happiness is goal and very possible to achieve.
It isn’t easy and does take practice, but I believe if everyone was familiar
with Aristotle’s work and took it in to account the world would truly be a
better place. Although today’s society has replaced Aristotle’s definition of
happiness with temporary pleasure. I believe it’s good and healthy to
incorporate temporary pleasures within our life while obtaining happiness but
don’t lose sight of the end goal. To be great at anything it takes time,
practice, and the ability to make the right choices. Anything worth having is
not easily achieved overnight and happiness is a perfect example of this.
"Happiness is the end goal that we cannot reach that until we have fully lived our life and we obtain this goal of happiness by making choices throughout our life" - in fact, our "eudaimonia" remains hostage to fortune even after our lives have ended, subject to the fates of our children. This seems too rigid a standard, doesn't it? But it's clearly meant to negate the equally unacceptable view of happiness as a fleeting form of pleasure.
ReplyDeleteAristotle's best insight, though, holds: happiness is a choice.