Aristotle 's Highest Good Theorem

Although, as Aristotle believes, everything we do in our life leads to some good, he makes it clear that some goods are subordinate to others, and that the greatest good is happiness. He believes that the knowledge of this good carries weight for our way of life, and makes us better able, like archers who have a target to aim at, to hit the right mark (Aristotle 2). To possess the ability to achieve this ultimate end; however, we must first have some sort of understanding as to what happiness is. The definition of happiness typically varies from person to person, some think it’s pleasure or something found in someone you love, others believe it lies in wealth and success, but Aristotle defines it as

Despite the end might be different, it has its ultimate outcome, the goal each craft or action aims to. The things we do, or wish for, eventually have their final point. Thus some person wants to become rich, so he can buy big house, where all his family would live, which might bring feeling of satisfaction and security. Hence he is doing or wishing something for the sake of something else, and this chain might go on and on. Aristotle realizes that these desires are empty and futile, and he suggests that there is something beyond them, otherwise all human activities become senseless. He refers to it as to “best good”, and by examining its nature, Aristotle concludes that happiness is the best good, the ultimate end of every action. “Happiness, then, is apparently something complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of the things achievable in action.” (p.8) According Aristotle, people can achieve happiness by some sort of cultivation, or by fortune. The former is much better and more preferable, since it involves learning and attention, while the latter is just a mere chance. Therefore everyone can reach happiness through

I do believe that Aristotle’s two conclusions (happiness is the activity of the soul and happiness is the highest good) satisfy his criteria for being the highest good because being involved in noble activities comes from being a contemplative person about morals, and the world in general. Being

Aristotle says humans need a clearer statement of what the best good is. Human beings already have happiness to chase after; but Aristotle believes there are different kinds of happiness. With the different types we get people trying to strive for different types of happiness and are maybe unclear as to which one to chase. This is where Aristotle says the confusion comes in. We need a clearer explantion of happiness and what it is. From reading book one we can see there are four subcatergories of happiness; which are material, formal, efficient and final. Aristotle is trying to get at which one is the most important one to us as human beings. It is really to see that humans want money, pleasure, and to be trusted and honored because we believe that these goods will lead us to being happy. It also seems that all other goods are ways towards finding

Book 1, Ch 9). His concept is directed to an action, suggesting that there are choices with in each action and the end should be good. There are many “goods” to find in our lives, things which are intrinsically good and things which are good as being conductive to the intrinsically good. The collective good is derived through virtuous choices. Virtue, then, assists man in obtaining pleasure and is also a form of character not a talent or desire. Aristotle's view is that one cannot learn moral virtue; it is always both an external action and an internal characteristic. Since it must be internal as well as external, to be genuine virtues must be a matter of habit sustained over an entire lifetime. Virtuous choices lead to happiness, the "highest of all goods achievable by action" Aristotle (Ostwald, 1999, pp. Book 1, ch 4), Aristotle views happiness as the highest goal of life. So is he saying that we need to be good for our whole life before we can achieve happiness? Being morally virtuous is a way of leading a happy life. By not stealing, or killing, or lying; one can be content to know that he is good and this will bringing happiness. But can this lead to its absolute definition, can some live a life without lie. If put in a situation where it was a necessity to lie in order to save a life, is it possible to find happiness even though you are not

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discussed his theory of happiness and attempted to answer the many questions related to what makes people happy. Questions asked were “What is the purpose of human existence?” “What is the end goal we are trying to achieve so that we know how we should conduct ourselves?” With so many people seeking pleasure through a variety of means such a wealth, reputation, personal belongings and friends, they may be missing the mark when it comes to happiness. While these each have a value attached to them, none of them contains what is truly needed to be described as the “good” we should be aiming toward. According to Aristotle, to be an ultimate end, an act must be self-sufficient and final, “that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else” (Nicomachean Ethics, 1097a30-34)

“Happiness, then, is found to be something perfect and self-sufficient, being the end to which our actions are directed” (Page 15, 1097b, lines 20-2). Aristotle states that when one finds whatever makes them happy, not just happy for the moment but truly and permanently happy, that that is the day they have nothing left to seek in life. He says once one finds that happiness, one must pursue their endings for their own sake. “It is complete virtue in the fullest sense, because it is the active exercise of complete virtue; and it is complete because its possessor can exercise it in relation to another person, and not only by himself” (Page 115, 1129b, lines 30-3). Here Aristotle talks about how justice is also a virtue of man, and that it should be pursued which will lead to the journey of living an ideal life.

This essay is aimed at reviewing Aristotle’s philosophical claim that thought and contemplation is the highest form of life, with a view to explaining the veracity of his theory. Aristotle, like many other philosophers wrote extensively on a variety of issues. His deep rooted conviction for a society based on such theoretical foundation of thought, contemplation, reason and logic, made him explore the perimeters of knowledge to advance the society on the foundation of knowledge. Most of Aristotle’s life was dedicated to the search for knowledge. Contemplation naturally brings about knowledge, which is the base of discovery. For Aristotle, the life of unbroken contemplation is something divine. It is the ultimate intellectual virtue, and it is the highest form of human activity. Like Plato’s postulation of ‘the philosopher king’ or ‘king philosopher’ as the ruler of society, Aristotle’s theory of thought and contemplation places premium on education, wisdom and knowledge as basis for happiness, fulfilment and harmony. Socrates personally demonstrated this by staying in isolation at some point to have the luxury of undisturbed thoughts, contemplation and meditation. The ancient, medieval and modern philosophers gave a lot of time to this highest form of life, and this explains the potency behind their prolific writings which has stood the

The definition of happiness has long been disputed. According to Aristotle, happiness is the highest good and the ultimate end goal—for it is self-reliant. This idea contradicted other common beliefs and philosophical theories. Aristotle opens his work by describing the various theories, neutrally examines each idea, and discloses how he thinks the theory is wrong and why his idea of happiness is more accurate.

Both Aristotle and Aquinas were prominent philosophers who wrote profound works that discussed the concept of the highest human good and how humans can achieve it. In Aristotle’s, Nicomachean Ethics, the highest human good is a state of constantly seeking knowledge as a way of achieving full capacity as a human. The writings of Aquinas are similar to Aristotle, but, in Treatise on Law, he discusses the type and elements of law. His discourse on law ultimately names the highest human good as being in the perfect community with God. Aquinas’s argument supports obedience to law, preexisting inclinations for the good, and a resolution. Aristotle requires that the person constantly seek knowledge and be at work, which can act as a positive force that drives humans to improve themselves.

Aristotle’s ethical theory is most commonly summed as simply being the best person you can be. (Syllabus pg. 10) He believed you should only carry out actions that will form you into a better person and one should strive for excellence in their everyday life. Therefore, we are presented with the

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle define happiness as the ‘highest good’. Aristotle states that everyone agrees that this highest good is happiness, but often disagree about what happiness really is. Many would believe that happiness is gained from material possessions, wealth or high social status, but Aristotle states that this is not the highest good. Aristotle believed that to obtain happiness, we must have virtue. Virtue is defined as a state of being and acting in the correct manner with high moral standards, neither acting in

He is honored to be author of ‘The Nicomachean Ethics,’ which was in fact the 1st book ever written on the subject of ethics. The book is greatly influential, even in modern times. By an analysis of Aristotle’s literature, it can be observed that he primarily focused on preaching to be ‘virtuous’ rather than focusing on the theories of what ‘virtue’ is. According to him, in whatever way we choose to act, some action that is focused on achieving the desired end result or ‘good’ results comes from that person’s own perspective. Aristotle claimed that the maximum good which a person have desire to achieve is basically an end-point itself , a person’s action or struggles is for achieving that ‘end-point’, it may be regarded as a point of maximum satisfaction. Aristotle critically concluded that the happiness of a person satisfies these conditions completely, and hence the highest attainable good is regarded as happiness.

“For we may be said to desire all things as means to something else except indeed happiness, as happiness is the end or perfect state” (page 230, Mayfield). As Aristotle said that our ultimate goal is happiness but in order to reach happiness you have to succeed. “Relaxation then is not an end. We enjoy it as a means to activity; but it seems that the happy life is a life of virtue, and such a life is serious, it is not one of mere amusement. We speak of serious things too as better than things which are ridiculous and amusing, and of the activity of

Aristotle believed that the goal of all human life is to achieve ultimate happiness. Happiness is the final Utopia or the end of “a life worth living.” Human instinct is characterized by achieving personal fulfillment, thus leading to happiness. Aristotle warns against going astray and “preferring a life suitable to beasts” by assuming happiness and pleasure are equal. Living a life preferred by beasts incapacitates a person from achieving the end Utopia. Even though Aristotle does not equate the two, he does stress that minimal pleasure is required to achieve happiness. Someone lacking in vital necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter are not capable of achieving happiness due to their lack of pleasure.