Aristotle on Happiness and Virtue Essay - 1749 Words

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 student of a famous philosopher. His most important study on ethics, personal morality and virtues is ‘The Nicomachean Ethics’, which has been greatly influencing works of literature in ethics and heavily read for centuries, is believed to be†¦show more content†¦His father died in his earlier days, leaving Aristotle to be raised by his guardian. At the age of 17, he was admitted into Platos academy. Plato was also one of the most renowned philosopher s. He served for the purpose of edification of the Alexander the Great. At the age of 49, Aristotle started his own school and named is ‘Lyceum’. When Alexander died, Aristotle escaped to Athens fearing life attacks. In 322 B.C, Aristotle died. He was at the age of 62 when he died. 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 rega rded as happiness. Plato wasShow MoreRelatedAristotle on the Nature of Happiness and Virtue1265 Words   |  5 Pages Maybe it’s not clear for many people but, for me it is. Happiness does not depend on what we have; happiness comes from us our soul. Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. Virtue, which Aristotle believes that is the balance between two excesses, and definitely achieved by maintaining the mean. Aristotle always asks what the ultimate purpose of human existence is. Everywhere we see people seeking pleasure, wealth, and a good reputationRead MoreAristotle s Views On Happiness And Moral Virtue Essay1593 Words   |  7 PagesTiverio Madrigal Landa Philosophy 002 October 13, 2016 Happiness and Moral Virtue Every few decades, an individual revolutionizes the way that we think and perceive the world. During the year 300 B.C., the foundation of philosophy was started by Aristotle and his learning from Plato and Socrates. A few centuries later, Thomas Hobbes beliefs challenged Aristotle s views. At the time, it was not known that their ideas would revolutionize the way we see the world around us today. Even though theyRead MoreHappiness Is an Activity Essay1287 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper I will discuss Aristotle’s claim that happiness is a kind of activity and not a momentary pleasure. 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The idea of ethics is questioning long term goals, ‘what sort of person do I want to be’ instead of instantaneous decisions that question ‘what should I do in this situation?’ Virtues areRead MoreMoral Virtues Between Aristotle And St. Thomas Aquinas1147 Words   |  5 Pagessuccinctly express and correlate the theories of moral virtues between Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, analysing and assessing how their beliefs have influenced European culture. Aristotle (384-322BCE) was an ancient Greek Philosopher who was a polymath and productive writer. Despite the fact that it can’t be positive it is commonly accepted the Nichomachean Ethics (NE) are his own works (IEP, 2005 ), and it is in Book Tow that the topic of virtue and moral values is one of several conferred. St.