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Aristotle is one of the renowned philosophers of the pre-modern era. Aristotle was Plato’s student for twenty years but unlike his mentor subscribed to a different school of thought. Aristotle’s work has elicited great interest among the scholars of modern time and his work is largely debated among philosophy circles. Some of Aristotle’s topics that generate interest are happiness in human life, and ethics or virtues. The constructs around Aristotle’s ethics remain influential.
In his work Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle asserts that happiness is the ultimate goal in human life (Aristotle, 2004). This happiness can be translated for the purpose of this analysis to mean well-being, or excellence. When Aristotle uses the term virtue in his Nicomachean ethics, he is not referring to the Victorian virtue. Rather virtue here is used in the sense of if it is a human action it is the action that leads to the best result or excellence. In his work, Aristotle goes beyond just discussing the notion of excellence, but also ventures into explaining how humans can achieve the same using theoretical and practical reason.
Therefore, happiness can be formally defined as the wholesome or sufficient good for human beings. However, there are very many different ways that the happiness can be achieved. According to Aristotle, the life of gratification is the only way the happiness or excellence can be achieved. The life of gratification spans the life of making money and pleasure, political life and philosophical life. Aristotle does not really believe in the life of gratification, but agrees with its proponents that a happy life is pleasing. Aristotle approaches the discourse of happiness and what it consist in several ways. First, he notes the thriving or flourishing of animals and plants in their natural habitats and ecosystems. The question therefore arise that what is the nature of human excellence or flourishing (happiness). Aristotle argues that the ultimate human function that leads to happiness should be action guided by reason and that reasoning should always be the cause of action. This forms the basis of ethics (read virtual) or morality. It is therefore acceptable to say that the essence of human happiness or excellence or living well lies in the exercise of intellectual virtue and morality.
The second approach in the discourse is to assess the goods or we desire. This follows that happiness or excellence lies in the achievement of some good whereby if they are attained in the right way it amounts to happiness. These goods can be divided into three goods, which are
· External goods; fame, wealth honor, friends, and power
· Intrinsic goods; life, health, physical strength, good looks, and dexterity
· Goods of the soul; life project, virtue, knowledge and education, artistic creativity, friendship and recreation
The problem now arises when trying to deduce how this happiness is related to the above goods. According to Aristotle, certain goods such as life and good health are prerequisites for happiness. Additionally, Aristotle observes that goods such as friend’s fame honor and wealth are the fulfillments of a virtuous individual’s happy life. However, Aristotle notes that the possession of virtue is the core element that leads to a happy life. Aristotle’s argument therefore is that a virtuous person is always a happy person. Such a person will remain happy even in the face of adversity, which brings unhappiness. It is therefore imperative form Aristotle’s argument that happiness or excellence lies in the combination of elements under our control (virtue), as well as, the elements over which we have minimal or no control (wealth, health, friends).
The above observation opens the question of happiness to further discussion. For instance, what is the place luck or virtue in achieving a virtuous life? There is also the question about the degree of unity of life and life projects necessary to bring about happiness. In other words, the question is how far an individual can go in allowing one complex end to dominate his entire life. The question of what the right balance is in life remains paramount. However, to answer these questions history, experience, and literature offer the best insight. Aristotle also believes that these questions can only be adequately addressed through development of intellectual and moral virtue.
Aristotle’s view of happiness is built on a virtuous life (Hughes, 2001). To elaborate on this Aristotle divides human soul three ways. First is the part that governs (reason), second, a part that must be governed by reason (sentient appetite or the passions), thirdly a part that does not depend reason (e.g. digestion). This means that some virtues will stem from reason while other will achieve reason.
Virtues are soul habits which guide good actions this means that a person guided by virtue will do only what is noble. According to Aristotle, virtuous action is a mere expression of the right reason. Virtue is acquired through habituation and constant practice. A person will become virtuous if their actions are virtuous, I.e., by acting as a virtuous person would act. This means doing what is right in the right time and when such action is required. The ultimatum us that a virtuous person will derive pleasure when acting in a virtuous manner. This means that the reason why many people are not virtuous is because they feel burdened by virtue. Virtue is difficult to attain because in most cases we follow personal inclinations that lead us to be vicious. This means that though the desire for happiness is inborn, our natural inclinations often drive us away from achieving true happiness.
In conclusion, Aristotle is arguing that good upbringing is important because we become virtuous by practicing virtue and making it habitual throughout life. As human being in pursuit of happiness we must first learn to feel correctly and act correctly. Here, Aristotle diverges from the school of thought that argues that virtue is not subject to pain and pleasure. According to Aristotle, a virtuous person will derive pleasure in what is right and feel pain in what is wrong or shameful. In the light of the above virtue is not comparable to a skill because then only the end would count, but the intention of acting, which for virtue is what is right and must be a habit. This means that people must always cultivate the habit of doing what is right (Ackrill, 1981). According to Aristotle, we can therefore argue that true happiness will come from acting with virtue.
References
Aristotle, (2004), Nicomachean Ethics: The main source for Aristotle’s ethics. ed. Hugh Treddenick. London: Penguin.
Ackrill, J. (1981). Aristotle the Philosopher: A comprehensive introduction to Aristotle. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hughes, Gerald J. (2001). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle on Ethics. London: Routledge.
