Why We Are Good By Nature And That By Being Good And Having Virtue We Can Achieve Happiness

ARISTOTLE'S EUDAIMONIA Eudaimonia stands for happiness in Greek. Aristotle argues that the highest good for human beings is happiness. He insists that every action performed by humans is to pursue happiness. Aristotle also argues that human action is always aimed at some end or good. This "good" may not be viewed as a good action or any good by others, but for the doer of the action ("good"), the activity will be perceived as good and that it will bring a favorable outcome. Aristotle also said

peoples lives is the virtue of happiness. He writes that one attains happiness by living a life of virtue - "our definition is in harmony with those who say that happiness is virtue, or a particular virtue; because an activity in accordance with virtue implies virtue. Indeed, we may go further and assert that anyone who does not delight in fine actions is not even a good man."(Aristotle) A life of virtue implies a life of reasoning for the end goal of doing what is good. Human good is fulfilling and

meaning of virtue and how one must live to achieve it and what it means to live what he calls the “ultimate good” and how differs from other historic philosophers. Which he concluded that in order for one to become truly happy can only be obtain through virtue. According to Seneca, one must have a natural limit to desires, by living according to nature. Another example he gives is how virtue is not a form of many but a single virtue. Another main reason he provides is the supreme good cannot be diminish

establishes the essence of a good life before he discusses the specifics of how one can train to live a good life later in his work. In the grand scheme of his introduction, Aristotle asserts: in order to live an excellent and complete life, i.e. the best life, every mean with reasons and virtues works towards happiness, or Eudaimonia, which is the end (telos) for the sake of itself of all actions (praxis). We will discuss how Aristotle logically arrives at that position and why this position matters.

Nicomachean Ethics, he states that virtue of character is how someone gets to the ultimate end, which is happiness. Aristotle states that, without a goal or ultimate end (happiness), life does not have a purpose. Therefore every action in a person’s life has to be made with true virtue of character in mind in order to achieve the final end. Aristotle states that virtue arises in us neither by nature nor against nature but since we are humans, by nature, we are able to acquire virtue and perform it later (Book

many other things, he discussed virtue and happiness and how closely they are related. According to Socrates, virtue is absolutely necessary for perfect happiness because virtue brings a type of happiness that other things could never bring. In this paper, I will explain the aforementioned idea of Socrates on virtue and happiness and through evidence from Plato's Apology which is

the ultimate goal of the human life. He says that every activity we participate in has and ultimate goal or an end. He states that happiness is the ultimate goal in life and that every activity we engage in our daily lives is to achieve happiness. Since all activities we engage in have an end then he says that happiness is the highest of all ends. So as human beings the goal of life is to achieve the highest of all ends. Happiness is the highest end because it is sought after for itself and is

In our society today, we are mostly challenged by two questions: ‘is it right to do this or that? And ‘how should I be living in society?’(Bessant, 2009). Similar questions were greatly discussed in the history by our ancestors in their philosophical discussions. The most ancient and long-lasting literature on moral principles and ethics were described by Greek philosopher Aristotle. He had an excellent command on various subjects ranging from sciences to mathematics and philosophy. He was also a

when he says happiness or eudaimonia is when the good life is a happy life, where happiness is the end goal. I will do so first by explaining how Aristotle’s eudaimonia theory found in Nicomachean Ethics is the aim of human life, a theory of happiness that is still relevant today. Secondly I will share the key ingredients in Aristotle’s recipe for happiness and the good life. These include reason and virtues, pleasure and relationships, wealth and success. Lastly, I will explain why I agree with

2 -PURPOSE OF HAPPINESS For Aristotle, happiness was related to a natural function. He argued that if we as human fulfilled our natural function/purpose then we will be able to be happy and “want for nothing at all” (page 91). Aristotle believed that human happiness refers to the function most proper to the human should and essentially the function must be exclusive to human. He argues that this supposed function is a practical aspect of life that comes from the rational part within humans. The use