Aristotle's View On Happiness

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In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores virtues as necessary conditions for being happy. According to Aristotle the ‘best good’, happiness, is something that is complete and self-sufficient. Something is considered to be self-sufficient when through itself it creates a choice worthy, abundant life. Every other human action has some end; these ends are categorized as some type of good, either instrumental or non-instrumental. Instrumental goods, are goods that are not chosen for their own sake, but rather, for the sake of others. It is these instrumental goods that fall subject to our desires. If every good were desired for the sake of another, one would never be able to give an account for what they are ultimately aiming to achieve. A non-instrumental good, on the other hand, is a good that is always chosen for its own sake. Aristotle believes that this non-instrumental good is a final or complete good of all human actions, and that this ultimate end is happiness. Happiness, therefore, is what Aristotle …show more content…

I believe of happiness in terms of living a good life and to do that you must be self-sufficient. I think that for happiness to exist it depends solely on ourselves. We cannot rely on others to bring us true Aristotelian happiness. I would like to believe that all humans are capable of being happy; I do not necessarily think that it takes a truly virtuous person to be happy. I have known people who are truly happy but are not truly virtuous individuals according to philosophy. When Aristotle discusses instrumental and non-instrumental goods I also agree with him. I think there should only be two types of goods, and before reading Aristotle I would not have known what those should have been. Now I can recognize that one is reliant on other things while the other is not. I am not sure if I agree that happiness is the “best good”, but according to Aristotle I have yet to achieve such

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