Why We Should Be Virtuous
Since the budding times of human civilization, society has been concerned with ensuring
human life is filled with peace and prosperity. As such, society has constantly tried to dictate
how individuals must act to achieve said peace and prosperity. Every aspect of our lives is
regulated by laws and principles that tell us how to live and act to reach that goal. In such a
world, why should a person seek to be virtuous? They can blindly follow the rules of society as
they believe it helps ensure the greater good. However, individuals need to find their own moral
compass. Even though we live in a regulatory and law-based society, every human being must
strive to become virtuous because it is the path to true happiness.
We must strive to be virtuous since it is the action that assists us in achieving the ultimate
benefit of happiness. According to Aristotle, every action and decision we take aims to
accomplish some good, end, or purpose (Aristotle 1). For instance, we eat food to satisfy our
hunger and we work to earn money for a better life. By that logic, we would have multiple ends
because each action is different and aims to reach a different end. The end we obtain from eating
food is different from the end we achieve by working. Aristotle claims there is a hierarchy to the
multiple goods and the ultimate good at the top of this hierarchy is happiness (Aristotle 8). In
that case, if happiness is the best end we achieve from an action, then what action do we take to
attain the end known as happiness? This action, according to Aristotle, is to be virtuous.
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accord with reason. Furthermore, the best thing we can do
with that reason is to be virtuous. With that in mind, every human being must strive to become
virtuous if we want to achieve the ultimate good known as happiness in life.
Even though we must be virtuous to obtain happiness, it might be possible to achieve
happiness without virtue because people who are evil or dishonorable are able to show
happiness. For instance, when a robber plans to rob a bank, they feel a certain level of happiness
when their heist is successful. In this case, the robber was able to attain happiness even when
they aren’t being virtuous. Similarly, when a scammer is able to successfully deceive someone of
all their money, they are also able to obtain some happiness when their ruse works. Again, even
though the scammer was being dishonest, they can feel some sort of happiness or elation when
their scam succeeds. In these cases, even though the robber and the scammer were being
dishonest and committing non-virtuous acts, they were still able to achieve happiness. What does
this mean? We stated that if we want to obtain happiness, we must first be virtuous. Yet it stands
to reason that people can still obtain happiness even when they are not virtuous and carry out
non-virtuous acts such as fraud and robbery.
However, even though people who are not virtuous can achieve happiness, this happiness
obtained can only be considered as temporary and fleeting happiness. It cannot be considered
true happiness. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes happiness as an end that is choice
worthy, complete, and self-sufficient. He explains that sometimes we pursue some ends to reach
or achieve another end. There are also other ends that we pursue to achieve simply for their own
sake. The latter end is known as a complete end. Socrates believes that happiness is a complete
end. He states, “Now happiness, more than anything else, seems complete without qualification.”
(Aristotle 8). To continue, if happiness is a complete end, that means it is self-sufficient and
choice worthy. Self-sufficiency here means that the end is good in itself and that when we
achieve this end, we do not need anything else. In other words, a self-sufficient end makes a life
lack nothing else. However, these characteristics do not apply to the happiness gained from nonvirtuous actions. For instance, in the case of the scammer, the result they get from the scam is
money. However, they use that result (money) to pursue another end such as a better quality of
life, or some other form of pleasure. This end is not self-sufficient, as without money the
happiness of the scammer cannot be guaranteed. This happiness is also not complete because the
scammer did not pursue that happiness simply for its sake. They first pursued money and used
that money to reach happiness. Thus, this cannot be considered true happiness because it is not
complete and choice worthy. The only way we achieve such true happiness is when we choose to
be virtuous because virtue pursues happiness for its own sake (Aristotle 9).
Happiness achieved by non-virtuous deeds is only temporary. But if a person engages in
the activity of study, Aristotle believes that they will achieve true permanent happiness, even
though the person may not necessarily be virtuous. Aristotle claims that happiness is an activity
of our soul, more specifically the rational part of our souls. Reason is a part of the rational part of
our soul, and the best thing we can do with our reason is to study. Simply put, studying gives us
happiness. When we study, we contemplate, understand, and acquire knowledge, and this
understanding gives us happiness. Thus, if the happiness gained from non-virtuous acts is
temporary, it stands to reason that a non-virtuous person can gain true permanent happiness from
studying. This is because a person’s ability to study and contemplate is not affected by them
being virtuous or evil. If a bad person can study, contemplate, and reach understanding, then they
can achieve true happiness in that process. Thus, it is possible for a non-virtuous person to
achieve true happiness.
It may be possible for a non-virtuous person to achieve happiness through studying. But
the act of studying itself is considered the supreme virtue, and by performing this virtue (i.e.,
studying) we can achieve the ultimate good of true happiness (Aristotle 193). If a non-virtuous
person reaches true happiness, they only gained that happiness through studying, even though
they may be doing other non-virtuous acts. These acts did not bring the non-virtuous person
happiness. But studying, which is an act of supreme virtue itself, was what brought them
happiness instead. Therefore, to achieve true happiness, the non-virtuous person had to perform
an act of virtue. This proves that the only way to achieve true happiness is if we become
virtuous. Thus, we must strive to become virtuous even in our society today if we want to be
happy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Third Edition, Trans. with Introduction, Notes,
and Glossary by Terence Irwin, ISBN 978-1-62466-815-9