Happiness Essay, Research Paper

Aristotle

Prior to a look at Aristotle’s ethics, I feel it is important to look at the man and his background.

Aristotle, an Ionian, was born in Stagira, a Greek town on the northwest shores of the Aegean Sea in 384

B.C. At the age of eighteen he entered Plato’s school called the Academy, staying there for nearly twenty

years. Plato was quick to realize Aristotle’s abilities and called him the Academy’s “brightest and most

learned student”. While there he wrote “popular writings” for general discussion outside the Academy.

After Plato’s death, Aristotle left the Academy and lived with a few disciples of Plato. It was

during this period of his life that he took a wife. Her name was Pithias, the adopted daughter of his friend

Hermeias.

In approximately 342 B.C. Aristotle was invited by King Philip II to supervise the education of his

son Alexander. After Philip II was assassinated, Alexander took over the throne. He later conquered all of

Greece and the Persian Empire and soon became known as Alexander the Great.

In 334 B.C. Aristotle returned to Athens and opened a school called the Lyceum. It was there that

he took on the teaching practices of Socrates. He wrote treatises and memoranda to be used as student

guides and lecture notes.

In 323 B.C., after the death of Alexander, Aristotle was charged with impiety by the Athenians.

This charge was thought to stem from his friendship with Alexander. Aristotle fled Athens because he

remembered what had happened to Socrates. He went to Chalcis so the Athenians would not “sin twice

against philosophy”. He died the following year.

Aristotle realized that happiness in the ultimate goal of a person’s life. All that a person is and

does should be directed toward this end. To arrive at goodness one must contemplate what universal and

eternal truths are and how these can be mastered in terms of each person’s life style. Wealth to many is a

pleasurable goal, but by itself it does not bring happiness. Wealth can limit a person’s vision setting a

person up to live in excess, while at the same time causing a deficiency in other areas. Along the same line,

being powerful might seem an ultimate goal, but it too is an example of excessive living. Powerful people

are not always happy as they miss life’s simple pleasures and often are isolated from other virtues. External

goods help someone to achieve happiness. These can include such things as friends and good looks. These

and other external goods are needed to ensure health, leisure and virtuous actions. Happiness then is

dependent on excellence, which r!

equires complete virtue and is developed over a lifetime.

Aristotle theorized that moral virtue is directly related to moderation. Virtue is a value a person

cannot have enough of because it leads to pleasure and happiness. Happiness therefore is the ultimate end

toward which all actions are directed. A man’s actions are not in isolation. They are directly tied to society

and the politics of the time. However, no matter what the time in history or a person’s place in society, a

person should use moderation in how he lives. To achieve this he must acquire knowledge, virtuous habits

and self-discipline. If a person has deficiencies he is not striving hard enough for happiness and his

ultimate goal. If he lives life in extremes he is apt to overdue in one area and be deficient in another. This

can be demonstrated by a person who uses drugs in excess and therefore does not appreciate or participate

in life’s pleasures. Aristotle could not see into the future; however, what he said hundreds of years ago still

applies today.

Aristotle was accurate when he taught that man has a moral responsibility for his actions. These

actions require a conscious choice because the person needs to be able to decide if the action is morally

correct. The good of the many outweighs the good of one. Therefore, it would be morally wrong to put

one’s needs and desires first before considering whether these actions would take away the freedoms of

others or cause harm to anyone else. Without proper moral training it might be impossible to grasp the

principles of ethical behavior. Man is both a social and political being. He does not live in isolation. He

must follow the guidelines of his government as well as the social customs of his people. Above all else,

Aristotle teaches that happiness is the end toward which all conscious acts are directed. True happiness

requires complete virtue. This is achieved through a person’s moral values, actions and his awareness of

the needs of others.

Aristotle has taught that an ethical political society is very important for a good life. A society

needs the structure of a government to show it how to behave and function. Without this structure there

would be no laws and society would fall apart. A good life is filled with certain expectations. These are

based on sound laws and rules for behavior. Humans deserve certain freedoms such as we enjoy today.

Some of these freedoms include speech, actions and assembly. To ensure these freedoms, a form of

government must exist that is democratic. As these freedoms are taken away you see the rise of

communism and dictatorships. Throughout history these forms of government are shown to be ineffective.

They do not provide society with pleasure and therefore the potential for a full life cannot be reached. I

certainly agree with his statement saying a “political society exists for the sake of the good life.”

I agree with the teachings of Aristole. His philosophy of life, though taught hundreds of years

ago, still apply today. It is easy to see why it is important for a well educated person to include philosophy

as part of his education. An understanding of the great thinkers of our time is vital to knowing the needs

and rights of man. By applying this knowledge to one’s lifestyle, and profession, one becomes a better

person and makes a greater contribution to his society.