Aristotles Balance of Eudaimonia - 880 Words

Aristotle’s balance of Eudaimonia Aristotle, the son of Nicomachus(Aristotle), known as ‘the philosopher, was born in 384 B.C.E, in a small city named Stagira in northern Greece. During his lifetime, he studied variety of subjects and brought knowledge to all aspects (Blackburn). He viewed that as a human, a subject who’s determined goal is to reach virtue and Arà ªte, is connected with nature and its balance (Golden Mean). Aristotle also viewed a good life as political questions. He analyzed that human’s basic shape of desire and aim is formed at the age of six (Hare). The good life, then, was defined by Aristotle as ‘the activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.’ According to Aristotle, a good life is maintaining the balance of virtue and vice, and Eudaimonia of the soul in that one would be satisfied with the accomplishments done (Bambic). Aristotle believed that everything has a function aiming for the good, and that politics are an important factor for functioning well. He stated in Nicomachean Ethics, one of his manuscript books, that the purpose of living is functioning well and learning moral philosophy. Aristotle studied logic to explain phenomenon’s, and believed that logic is the precondition of knowledge ( Palmer 91). Using this logic, He claimed that every act has a purpose, which is defined as good. Aristotle proves that everything has a function, and that human beings have a function. Hence, if something functioning well is good, living isShow MoreRelatedAristotle Virtue Ethics Summary1075 Words   |  5 PagesFor example, the purpose of a knife is to cut, and so a knife that cuts well has achieved its purpose. Aristotle believed that the purpose of humanity was to reach eudaimonia. When a person has achieved eudaimonia they will be fully content with their lives and they will act morally because t hey want to. Aristotle referred to eudaimonia as â€Å"an end in itself†. He insists that flourishing can only be achieved through the use of reason, since the function of reason, in practice, is virtue. He says: â€Å"TheRead MoreAristotle s Doctrine Of The Mean1344 Words   |  6 Pageshowever what is right and wrong when making a moral decision that is still a question today. This essay outlines how virtue ethics is not helpful as we hope when making a moral decision. Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean is a unique theory that is used for ethical views today. His main argument is basely on eudaimonia and how humans can attain that. Most of the time, happiness to humans is enjoying time with friends or loved ones, but to Aristotle happiness is a telos that incorporates an individual’sRead More Aristotle and the Doctrine of the Mean Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesof the Aristotelian â€Å"Doctrine of the Mean†. This paper will explore the basis of the Doctrine of the Mean, its connections to Eudaimonia, and its success or lack thereof. Eudaimonia is a Greek word whose meaning can be translated several ways. These include happiness, the success of life’s activities, prosperity, and the act of the thriving. Eudaimonia is used as a noun. The roots of the word’s meaning are found in its parts. â€Å"Eu† signifies connotations such as â€Å"well† in GreekRead MoreAristotle Is A Good Life?1211 Words   |  5 Pageslife?† Within many of his works Aristotle has addressed the concept of â€Å"eudaimonia.† Simply defined, eudaimonia is, â€Å"happiness or flourishing.† However, Aristotle defined eudaimonia a little bit differently, he claimed that eudaimonia was reaching one s ultimate human good by living well and completing one’s ultimate goals (flourishing). The concept of Eudaimonia is thought to have been first alluded to in Aristotle’s work, â€Å"Nichomachean Ethics.† It was then that Aristotle began to questionRead MoreEthics Of The Good Life For A Human Being1398 Words   |  6 PagesThrough living with the mean state and with moral virtue, the disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, Aristotle explains how one can reach the end purpose of life and achieve eudaimonia, human flourishing. Aristotle’s fundamental claims surrounding moral excellence and habituation allow to one enact the necessary process of moderating thinking and feeling to become a morally excellent person. In order to reach human thriving, one must habituateRead MoreAristotles Theory of the Good Life968 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Aristotle, the good life is the happy life, as he believes happiness is an end in itself. In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle develops a theory o f the good life, also known as eudaimonia, for humans. Eudaimonia is perhaps best translated as flourishing or living well and doing well. Therefore, when Aristotle addresses the good life as the happy life, he does not mean that the good life is simply one of feeling happy or amused. Rather, the good life for a person is the active lifeRead MoreEssay about Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality1777 Words   |  8 Pagesargue that Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s utilitarian view that pleasure is the â€Å"greatest good.† The purpose of this paper is to contrast Aristotle’s and Mills views on the value of happiness and its link to morality. First I will describe Aristotle’s model of eudaimonia. Then I will present Mill’s utilitarian views on happiness and morality. Lastly, I will provide a counterargument to Mill’s utilitarian ethical principles using the Aristotelian model of eudaimonia. InRead MoreAristotle Theory Of The Good Life1424 Words   |  6 Pages Aristotles Theory of Happiness and the Good Life Aristotle is one of the greatest thinkers in the history of western philosophy, and is most notably known for expressing his view of happiness in Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle develops a theory of how to live the good life and reach eudaimonia (happiness). Eudaimonia has been translated into, living a happy and virtuous life. Aristotle’s definition of the good life as the happy life, consist of balancing virtues (arà ªte), the mean, external goodsRead MoreThe Philosophical Theories Of Euthanasia And Ethics1464 Words   |  6 Pagesarguments will be outlined and consequently analyzed, both separately and in relation to each other. Their differences and similarities will be enumerated and described, consequently their merit will be discussed. Ultimately, Aristotle’s moral theory centering around eudaimonia will be shown to be superior to Kant’s categorical imperative, because of its flexible nature when evaluating the acceptability of euthanasia under different circumstances. Margaret P. Battin’s â€Å"Euthanasia: The Way We Do ItRead MoreJohn Locke And John Stuart Mill s On Liberty Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pagesindividual plays in society and to the state. Whereas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill have developed a more modernized conception of liberty and the role of the individual to the state and society. Plato’s work the Republic, and Aristotle’s works of literature Nicomachean Ethics, and Politics will be contrasted against Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, John Locke’s Second Treatise, and John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. The literature works of the Political Philosophers mentioned previously will