Aristotle on the Nature of Happiness and Virtue - 1265 Words

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 reputation. But while each of these has some value, none of them can occupy the place of the chief good for which humanity should aim. Happiness is always an end in itself, some people believe that making millions of dollars and having as many women they want will make them happy, others will disagree and believe that being married with a family and kids its real happiness, but for Aristotle, however, happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the totality of one’s life. It is not something that can be gained or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable sensations. It’s something you work through your entire life, a long process that after hard work and dedication you will succeed and reach that ideal state of mind where you are truly happy and measuring how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being, not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy. For Aristotle the meaning of happiness is: â€Å"the function of man is to live a certain kind ofShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophies Of Aristotle And Confucius978 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is virtue? The philosophies of Aristotle and Confucius establish virtue as a moral trait that encompasses love, courage, good manners, and happiness. To achieve virtue, one must display qualities of altruism and promote benevolence in every action. The virtuous person lives by a high moral standard that is achieved through the habitual conditioning of disposition. 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In this way he introduced the idea of a s cience of happiness in the classical sense, in termsRead MorePositve Psychology and Aristotles Virtue Ethics Converge Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesPositive psychology and Aristotle: A convergence of ideas The field of positive psychology, founded by Martin Seligman (1998), seeks to influence individuals whose lives are â€Å"neutral† and increase their psychological well-being. Positive psychology offers a unique perspective on mental health through focusing on individual strengths rather than dysfunction, pathology, and mental illness (Seligman Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). 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