Section 11
Final Report
Democritus, Aristotle, and Plato on Happiness
The philosophy of happiness is the philosophical concern with the existence, nature, and attainment of happiness. There are many philosophers who have their own views on happiness. I will be explaining Democritus, Aristotle, and Plato's views!
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Democritus
Democritus is known as the "Laughing Philosopher" because of his emphasis on the value of cheerfulness. He believed that the best way for a man to lead his life is to have been as cheerful as possible and to have suffered as little as possible. This could happen if one did not seek one’s pleasures in mortal things. The right-minded man is he who is not grieved by what he has not, but enjoys what he has. He is fortunate who is happy with moderate means, unfortunate who is unhappy with great possessions. One should realize that human life is weak and brief and mixed with many cares and difficulties, in order that one may care only for moderate possessions, and that hardship may be measured by the standard of one’s needs. Cheerfulness or well-being is created in man through a harmonious life and moderation of enjoyment. Excess and want are forever changing and cause great disturbance in the soul. Souls that are stirred by great disturbances are neither stable nor cheerful. Therefore one must keep one’s mind on what is attainable, and be content with what one has, paying little heed to things envied and admired, and not dwelling on them in one’s mind.
Aristotle
For Aristotle, happiness (or "The Supreme Good"), is by understanding the distinctive function of a thing that one can understand its essence. Thus, one cannot understand what it is to be a gardener unless one can understand that the distinctive function of a gardener is ‘to tend to a garden with a certain degree of skill’. Whereas human beings need nourishment like plants and have sentience like animals, their distinctive function, says Aristotle, is their unique capacity to reason. Thus, our supreme good, or happiness, is to lead a life that enables us to use and develop our reason, and that is in accordance with reason. Unlike amusement or pleasure, which can also be enjoyed by animals, happiness is not a state but an activity. And like virtue or goodness, it is profound and enduring. Aristotle acknowledges that our good or bad fortune can play a part in determining our happiness; for example, he acknowledges that happiness can be affected by such factors as our material circumstances, our place in society, and even our looks. Yet he maintains that by living our life to the full according to our essential nature as rational beings, we are bound to become happy regardless. For this reason, happiness is more a question of behavior and of habit—of virtue—than of luck; a person who cultivates such behaviors and habits is able to bear his misfortunes with balance and perspective, and thus can never be said to be truly unhappy.
Plato
Plato believes that we must be moral in order to be truly happy rests on a discussion of the four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. Wisdom has to do with the intellect. For Plato, the wise person uses the mind to understand moral reality and then apply it to his/her daily life. The wise person is guided by rationality in the choices he/she makes. Courage has to do with how we face adversity. It includes things like courage on the battlefield, but it also includes having the courage of one's convictions. In fact, Plato's mentor, Socrates, chose to die rather than sacrifice his deepest convictions. No doubt this deeply influenced Plato's views on the matter. Moderation (temperance, self-control) is related to our desires. Human beings have many desires, of course, and this is a good thing. The problem arises when we desire a good thing in the wrong way, or a bad thing at all. We must not let our desires for food, sex, and drink control our lives in a way that compromises our character. Justice for Plato is related to one's overall character. The just person has a healthy soul, in which reason rules the appetites and our desire for honor. The just person is fulfilled, at peace, and truly happy.
Questions
1. Which philosopher is known as the laughing philosopher?
2. Which philosopher believes happiness is to lead a life that enables us to use and develop our reason, and that is in accordance with reason.
3. Which Philosopher believes that we should be moral in order to be truly happy?
Discussion Questions
1. Which philosopher do you agree with?
2. Do you think true happiness is attainable?
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Sources
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Comments on other final reports
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2019/12/final-report-blog-post-section-11-ramey.html?showComment=1575580712714#c2333739812143180613
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2019/12/niccolo-machiavelli-sam-gougeonpoole-13.html?showComment=1575581758268#c5535507383804615802
I thought Democritus was the Laughing Philosopher because he found the follies of humanity laughable (though possibly not a source of cheer).
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about Aristotle's notion of eudaimonia as significantly subject to circumstances entirely beyond our control, such as what happens to our children after we've gone?
Would most of us be happy in Plato's republic, where your occupation and prospects in life are assigned according to your "metal" (gold, silver, bronze), and where philosopher-kings rule? What would Plato say about happiness in the "cave" of everyday life, if the caved-wellers (i.e., those who don't "see" the ideal but invisible Platonic realm of Forms and timeless Essences) say they're content in the cave?