Analysis on Aristotle

A detailed Summary of Analysis on Aristotle

Our modern concept of happiness appears to be one synonymous with contentment. A happy person is one who leads a life in which they are content with their actions. However, the Aristotelian conception of happiness, or of eudaemonia, is a compound, made of matter and spirit, of sense and intelligence, of animal conditioning and rational, all of this crowned and guided by wisdom and contemplation. Happiness, according to Aristotle is contingent on living a good life. He is a firm believer that good life can only be met if morally right actions are performed until they become habitual. After these actions become a habit, moral virtue can be achieved. I intend to discuss how Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, analyzes happiness and excellence in relation to moral virtue and the doctrine of mean.

Aristotle regards happiness as a final end - the final cause of action for a human being. He used the word eudaemonia in a sense which refers to the quality of a whole human life - what makes it good as a whole despite the fact a person is not having a blast or a good time every minute of it. A human life may involve many joy, pleasures, successes and it may also involve heartbreaks, sorrows, grieves, troubles and that could still

Vanity Self-esteem Low self-esteem

In mathematics the mean of two numbers can be found by dividing their sum by two - the mean is found by the means of both ends. But both ends cannot be found from the mean. On the contrary, according to Aristotle's formula of virtue, mean (virtue) cannot be found by taking the means of two extreme ends. There are a couple of reasons for this non-mathematical reasons: ethical extremes and deficiencies cannot be expressed quantitatively and they are usually open ends extending to infinity because it is impossible to set a limit for cowardliness or for stinginess. According to Aristotle, there is a criteria that we can recognize the extremes and deficiencies - both are self-destructive actions.

Wastefulness Generosity Stinginess

To attain happiness, the function of human being should be to live a life filled with activities which require the exercise of intelligence - intellectual and moral excellence. Aristotle is careful to separate intellectual excellence from moral excellence, and place the latter on a higher pedestal. In his word, "Intellectual intelligence is required through instruction, study and learning" and "we become morally excellent by forming good habits." (pp.70) Intellectual excellence is that which is learned or experienced through schooling or craft. Whereas, moral excellence is one accomplished through them. A morally excellent man finds pleasure in doing good acts, and actually does them. Intellectual excellence can only allow a man to think about doing good actions or analyze the world, it does not entail him actually committing to a moral path of action.

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Approximate Word count = 1133
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History