The Chase of a Worthy Life In our society, there are many different views, cultures, and perspectives that surround us. These range from issues of collective concern such as the best action a country should take, to others of personal concern like how can we reach happiness. Happiness is such a highly discussed topic not only now but for thousands of years. Everyone has their own take on the path to achieve happiness. The philosopher Aristotle thought that happiness was important to humankind. In this case, the prescriptions for the greatest good from Aristotle is expressed with working hard every day and pursuing virtues. According to Plato’s Apology, during his trial, Socrates whispered his famous dictum, “The unexamined life is not a life worth living.” A good life is a what many aspire to live. All of us want to reminisce back on the good old days by the time we are elders, but by not examining our life in the present, when do we know we are having a good life? Well, what dictates a good life? According to the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that the good life brings happiness and that happiness is the greatest good. But then again, what is the greatest good? Is it amassing a great deal of wealth? Or perhaps having rank and honor? Or maybe pleasure? Aristotle believes that these goods are not the highest because of their flaws. We want wealth for attaining material items that will bring us pleasure such as wine, food, extravagance, etc. That rules it out. Now, honor, rank, and position. Honor means nothing if no one else acknowledges it. So let’s imagine you are the self-proclaimed emperor of your micronation you decided to create in your backyard. Honor is worthless if no-one else is there to value it, just like a dollar note is simply a piece of paper without the value we allocate to it. Therefore, honor can’t be the greatest good. Others say that pleasure is the greatest good, but don’t all animals want bodily pleasure? According to Aristotle’s teachings, the greatest good must be attributed to our abilities as human beings, not as animals, therefore it must not be pleasure. Aristotle associated a good life of happiness with the acquisition of intellectual virtues. Since we are not simple animals, we must take into consideration human reason. Now, these intellectual virtues must not reach into vices. A deficiency or excess of a virtue are considered vices. The perfect balance of the two is known as the golden mean. But most people do not do these, but take refuge in theory and think they are being philosophers and will become good in this way, behaving somewhat like patients who listen attentively to their doctors but do none of the things they are ordered to do. (EN 11.05a17) Aristotle viewed happiness as the pursuit of being a virtuous person, brave but not cowardice, temperate but not self-indulging. Being virtuous allows you to attain what is considered the “pinnacle of humanity”, or eudaimonia. Which means, according to Aristotle, always trying to reach your goals, and always trying to improve. Hard work in conjunction with virtue that is contained within the golden mean will grant you a eudaimonic life. In conclusion, Aristotle prescribed different ranges of pathways to get to achieve a eudaimonic life, but I particularly like Aristotle because of his way of always trying to achieve rather than to accept the lack of control. The impulse described in Nicomachean Ethics to always work hard and get the fruits of our labor is an idea that I’d subscribe to. Citations Dacher, Elliott S. “Human Flourishing in Ancient Greece.” Elliott S. Dacher, M.D., www.elliottdacher.org/human-flourishing-in-ancient-greece.html. Seddon, Keith H. “Epictetus”, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/epictetu/ Striker, Gisela. “Ataraxia : Happiness as Tranquillity” OUP Academic, Oxford UniversityPress,academic.oup.com/monist/articleabstract/73/1/97/1067619?redirectedFro m=PDF.
