Introduction
Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to act and behave appropriately. When the impact of vices on peoples’ behavior is considered, moral virtue becomes a mean between extremes of excess and deficiency. Notably, Aristotle was the founder of the term eudaimonia. Happiness and eudaimonia are synonyms, but there is a clear delusion. This is because only after living a life of happiness will an individual achieve eudaimonia. In Greek, this term denotes happiness. According to Aristotle, the highest good of any human being is happiness. He insisted that people engage in different activities daily to pursue happiness. At the same time, the main objective of these actions is to bring favorable outcomes to society. That is why an action can be viewed as good if the results are favorable and wrong if they are not. Therefore, eudaimonia can be defined as the type of life a person thinks is best and most desirable. It can also be defined as hedonic happiness. It is important to note that it is the belief in enjoying life and having fun and pleasure. This essay will discuss the meaning of eudaimonia according to Aristotle and how it can be achieved in life.
Aristotle’s five-part definition of virtue
Happiness is the highest good at which all activities of people aim. For example, when a person goes to the supermarket to buy groceries, purchasing groceries means eating a healthy diet. In this case, eating healthy means that one is trying to achieve happiness. This is what all the activities people engage in aim to achieve. However, one of the difficulties people are experiencing today is determining what they can do to have a happy and good life (Egbekpalu, 2021). Thus the purpose of ethics s finding the answer to these difficulties. By nature, there are many variables involved in this case since one has to consider an individual’s life as a whole.
Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to act and behave appropriately. When the impact of vices on peoples’ behavior is considered, moral virtue becomes a mean between extremes of excess and deficiency (Sachs, 2021). As a result, moral virtue is similar to having the right attitude towards pleasure and pain. For the Greeks, the enthusiasm to behave appropriately is not influenced by ethical principles of dos and don’ts but rather by an urge to achieve excellence, just like an athlete. Therefore, like other Greeks, Aristotle’s perception of moral virtue is equivalent to attaining excellence. For instance, a guitarist will be morally virtuous if he plays the guitar well since playing the guitar is the primary occupation of a guitarist. Aristotle indicates that morally virtuous people exhibit various virtues, such as courage, temperance, modesty, benevolence, and good ambition. However, a person can only be considered morally virtuous if the virtues exist not as individual traits but as different life features. Further, people learn virtue through habits and practice instead of instruction and reasoning. For example, a coward suffers because of the fear of being in danger, yet a rash person will not suffer sufficient anxiety.
How is moral virtue acquired?
Aristotle insists that peoples’ virtues are not innate, like smell and eyesight, but rather are a subset of their good traits. Virtues are abiding states that can be expressed through purpose and action. However, virtues are not just expressed but instead expressed in good purpose, in accordance with a good life plan (Rowe, 2020). Therefore, like people design and even change their life plans when required, so are virtues. As a result, people acquire moral virtues primarily through habit and practice rather than through instruction and reasoning. Just like the ability to play football develops through practice, so does the capacity to be virtuous. Once a person acquires particular virtues, those virtues become that person’s characteristic traits. For instance, a person who has developed the virtue of courageousness is usually referred to as courageous because they tend to behave or act courageously in all situations. Similarly, a person who has acquired virtues will naturally act consistently with moral principles.
Vices are acquired through bad habits, just as virtues are acquired through good habits. Therefore, even people with bad habits can improve their character and acquire virtues through practice. On the other hand, the practice of self-indulgence makes people vicious by corrupting the virtues they possess. Nevertheless, people do not live in isolation but rather in communities where they have relationships with family members, schools, churches, and other public and private associations (Rowe, 2020). Therefore, the acquisition of virtues depends not just on a person’s habits but also on the prevalent practices and patterns in the community.
How to achieve eudaimonia according to Aristotle
Happiness is a natural demand of people. It is just like a pleasant spiritual feeling an individual feels when in the process of attaining something. Therefore, a well-lived life is a clear indication of achieved happiness. While happiness is associated with evaluating the quality of life, eudaimonia is concerned with life as pleasantly objective (Sachs, 2021). This gives eudaimonia a better definition compared to happiness. This is because, in most cases, bad experiences or events do not impact the happiness experience of a person but their eudaimonia. At the same time, some people believe that pain is what differentiates happiness from fulfillment. However, the term pain can be fulfilled through physical suffering or when one is overburdened mentally. Thus, happiness can be termed as a psychological nuance that is hard to explain. This is also what happens when one is suffering or unhappy.
To achieve eudaimonia, an individual must learn to categorize things from the most important ones to the least important ones. Aristotle thought that all human actions resulting in happiness form a hierarchy. At the same time, this hierarchy includes a ladder of things, and this ladder is supposed to categorize them according to their importance (Sachs, 2021). The most important things must be placed at the top of the ladder, and the least important ones should be below the ladder. This means that the things on the top of the ladder will help one achieve true happiness. However, this true happiness should be self-sufficient, should be achievable, and must be everything a person ever wanted in life. For example, a person can work hard to lose weight and stay in shape. The first question should be; why is this person working to lose weight? To look physically good and attractive or lead a healthy life? In such a situation, living a healthy life should be at the top of the ladder, while looking attractive should be at the bottom. This example clearly depicts that every action human beings take aims to achieve happiness. Therefore, the highest good is true happiness alone based on the situation.
To achieve eudaimonia, a person does everything or lives for philosophical contemplation. Aristotle asserts that life is an activity, a particular function human beings have been given. Therefore, completing this job brings happiness when a person is given a task or an activity. At the same time, it expresses the virtue associated with the task. Thus, through the activity of the soul, virtue is expressed. This also means that the highest good should be an activity in agreement with virtue. Aristotle thinks that ‘the best life is a life where an individual does everything” (Egbekpalu, 2021). He also argued that an individual must be intelligent to live a happy life or achieve happiness in every activity since life is considered an activity of virtues. However, this does not apply to infants because their age cannot allow them to participate in various activities. Animals are also excluded from this category.
When seeking things like money and wealth, a good person does so based on virtues. Aristotle thinks that people can be rich in money and power, but wealth is not the good or happiness they seek. Therefore, through their rationalities and actions about true happiness and good, only then can they achieve true happiness (Sachs, 2021). It is important to note that there is a significant element between Aristotle’s definition of happiness and today’s definition of happiness. Today, people’s definition of happiness is subjective and comes from the state of mind. On the other hand, Aristotle thought that happiness is more than the action of virtuousness. This brings the difference between those living their lives well and those doing well in life. Therefore, virtue is an activity, and by pursuing this activity, people can achieve true happiness.
Eudaimonia is doing good actions and living well. Aristotle believed that happiness should not be defined as being cheerful, laughing, feeling joyful, or having any pleasure. It is important to note that living well can be perceived as being rich or owning admirable qualities. For example, a sick person will wish to get healed and lead a healthy life, while a poor person will want to possess all the richness and monetary aid. However, Aristotle believed that when a person wishes for something, one fails to achieve true happiness. According to Sachs (2021), Aristotle divided people into three main groups. The first category belongs to people who recognize happiness as bodily pleasure. According to Aristotle, this can be considered a vulgar and poor mentality. The second group consists of people motivated by others’ affairs and constantly seek honor through political activities. These people link honor and virtue to happiness. The third group consists of business owners who believe wealth and money are their sources of happiness. However, Aristotle believed that one could not achieve true happiness by just acquitting the highest status in society. These things are not permanent and can deplete someday. Therefore, an honorable person possesses various virtues but may not exercise them for multiple reasons. At the same time, the above individuals cannot be regarded as happy because their happiness comes with constraints. For example, wealth is not a reputable source of happiness because one aims to be famous and admirable in society. Happiness is self-sufficient and makes life choices worthy.
Notably, to live a life of eudaimonia, happiness has to be a constant and continuous element in an individual’s life. This means a person cannot be happy by withholding happiness within themselves (Rowe, 2020). It is believed that happiness is contagious, and helping spread it among others can make one flourish and attain true happiness in the long run. At the same time, to achieve true happiness, an individual should not only be embodied with virtue but also act upon it. Aristotle asserted that the state of mind could not exist without producing excellent or positive results. It is the same as a man who is asleep or inactive in some way. Therefore, to achieve eudaimonia, one must link emotions with actions.
Aristotle believes that true happiness should be complete and self-sufficient. Additionally, it is the end of things attainable in action. However, today, people have different ways of achieving true happiness because everyone has a different definition of happiness. To understand true happiness more, Aristotle often concludes the nature of something. For example, if one examines the nature of something, it will be possible to see the good it holds (Pugno, 2021). In his analysis, Aristotle gave the characteristics of a good man. They include being active, complete, choice worthy, and self-sufficient. Therefore, it is imperative to not only theorize virtuousness but also execute acts of virtuousness. At the same, Aristotle believed that the human function is to live this kind of life and engage in activities that yield true happiness.
Although happiness is the appropriate term since eudaimonia has definitions like human flourishment, fulfillment, success, and well-being, there are critiques that today it is impossible for people to achieve true happiness, just like Aristotle believed (Sachs, 2021). For example, some people will be successful by birthright. This can be explained better by the case of a CEO’s daughter who takes the position after graduating. This person will take this position without engaging in any activity to earn it; to some extent, one will do nothing to excel in the future. At the end of the day, the daughter will be powerful, earn a good salary, and purchase anything. Thus, regardless of this person’s virtues, the power and material will enable one to enjoy life and achieve happiness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to act and behave appropriately. When the impact of vices on peoples’ behavior is considered, moral virtue becomes a mean between extremes of excess and deficiency. Further, he asserted that the highest good of any human being is happiness, and people engage in different activities daily to pursue happiness. There are various activities people can engage in to achieve true happiness. First, to achieve eudaimonia, an individual must learn to categorize things from the most important ones to the least important ones. Aristotle thought that all human actions resulting in happiness form a hierarchy. Secondly, to live a life of eudaimonia, happiness has to be a constant and continuous element in an individual’s life. This means a person cannot be happy by withholding happiness within themselves. However, in modern society, people have a different definitions of happiness. This is because regardless of this person’s virtues, the power and material will enable one to enjoy life and achieve happiness.
References
Egbekpalu, P. E. (2021). Aristotelian Concept of Happiness (Eudaimonia) and its Conative Role in Human Existence: A Critical Evaluation. Conatus-Journal of Philosophy, 6(2), 75-86.
Pugno, M. (2021). The economics of eudaimonia. In A Modern Guide to the Economics of Happiness. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Rowe, C. J. (2020, August). The Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics: a study in the development of Aristotle’s thought. Cambridge Philological Society.
Sachs, J. (2021). Aristotle, eudaimonia, neuroscience, and economics. In A Modern Guide to the Economics of Happiness. Edward Elgar Publishing.
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