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Aristotle on the nature of happiness
Aristotle definition of happiness
Aristotle on the nature of happiness
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Why Should I Be Moral?
The question of morality proves to be a complex interrogatory. Should I be moral? If I should be, then why? Why is morality important to society? An assumption can be made that morals derive from a purely religious perspective or the Golden Rule approach. We are told that it is right to be moral. This is an ineffective answer, since it does not apply to someone outside the moral circle
(Olsen, 79).
This in mind, there is really no way to prove this too a person who wants to know why he/she should be moral. According to Olen, the only answer to them would be "because you are". Happiness could also be included in the list of moral reasons. I personally feel that this is the best supported reason for being moral. Although there will be times when the moral decision will not be pleasurable, it will eventually lead to happiness. Morality is important for society as a whole, as it makes life livable. Now expanding on the happiness theory, I will discuss the ideas of Aristotle. Aristotle believed that happiness is the quality of whole human life. We all have misconceptions about happiness. Most of us believe that happiness is experiencing a lively feeling of joy or pleasant feelings. We can be happy at one moment, but not the next.
Aristotle on the other hand said that true happiness includes pleasures, joys, and successes as well as many pains, griefs, and troubles in ones life. A happy life is not cause by the pleasures we've had, nor marred by the displeasures we've had.
Aristotle also contended that children could not be happy as the requirement for happiness was a complete life. For instance, an old man looking back on his life and being able to say that it was good, is happiness.
Aristotle defined the things that make happiness as health, wealth, friendship, and good moral character. Aristotle stated that happiness was also the highest good leaving nothing more to be desired. Life is made perfect by possession of all good things. We seek happiness for its own sake. All others are sought for happiness. Aristotle believed to become happy one must have good character and be willing to suffer to obtain the greater good later on. We should seek the good in the long run. Most men/women will not do this. We take the immediate pleasure. Most people think that happiness is unique to each person. Aristotle believed that there is only one true conception and that it holds the same for all humans. Power is not an attribute to happiness because
This is seemingly the case in the time period prior to the collapse of society. For example, when a character named “[Jeevan] reached Allan Gardens Park… he found himself blindsided by an unexpected joy. Arthur died… there’s nothing to be happy about. But there was… now he was certain, absolutely certain that he wanted to be a paramedic” (11). When Jeevan finally realized what he wanted to be, his true calling, he was overwhelmed with joy. Even though somebody had just died, all he could feel was happiness because he found something within himself. When Arthur was beginning to reflect upon his life, “He stared at his crown and ran through a secret list of everything that was good… Dancing with Clark when he was eighteen… Tanya sipping wine, her smile… Riding in his father’s snowplow when he was nine, the time [he] told a joke and his father and his little brother couldn’t stop laughing, the sheer joy he’d felt at that moment” (327). All of these different things brought Arthur happiness and eventually sadness at some point in his life, showing that nothing can keep you happy forever. The meaning of happiness is ever-changing. Since happiness was based off of how much you had, people had the ability to manipulate it by obtaining more
Before I look at each of the specific aspects though, the question arises: “How can one be moral?” By definition, to be moral is to be concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. Expanding on this is the principle of ethics. This is simply a system of moral principles.
life: the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule states “do unto others as you would have them do unto
Morality is based on spiritual and personal beliefs and on accepted standards for the respect of others.
The second reason to act morally is because there is religion. Sometimes moral codes are obtained by theologians who clarify holy books, like the Bible in Christianity, the Torah in Judaism, and the Qur 'an in Islam. Their conclusions are often accepted as absolute by their believers. Those who believe in God view him as the supreme law giver; a God to whom we owe obedience and allegiance. In other words, they think that being a good person is one who obey god by following his commandments. Religion helps people to judge whether a certain act is good or bad, which can be considered as the definition of morality. Most religions promote the same values which are: fairness, loyalty, honesty, trust, etc.... Similarly, McGinn lists the same qualities
According to Dictionary.com, happiness is contentment, joy, good fortune, and the state of being happy.
To answer this question, we must consider what the right thing to do was. Moral reasoning poses two questions: What is the right thing to do? and What are the virtues of traits of a person who lives life well. Let’s look at the first question. What is the right thing to do?
feeling of exhilaration. Happiness is enduring satisfaction with one’s life as a whole. It is an overall evaluation of the quality of the individual’s authentic experience. It calls for balance and positive affectivity over a long period of time. In a similar assertion given by Fordyce, it is accounted to all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in the recent past. Bentham (1789) and Kahneman (2000) supported the idea of Fordyce that happiness is the sum of pleasure and pains and it underlies with the overall evaluation of life. The qualities of life and kinds of satisfaction pertain to the diverse sources or determinants of happiness of an individual. These put in a nutshell the various sources which are included in the development of the
Stiendl, David. "Want to be happy? Be grateful." Ted Talks. Ted. Ted Talk, Edinburgh. 1 June 2013. Lecture.
'One has achieved success who has lived well and laughed often.'; This quote seems to sum up what is meant by success. If you are able to laugh often and much then you have definitely achieved happiness. The idea of living well, though, is a very broad statement. In order, then, to define success in relation to this statement, we must first define what it means to live well. There are three levels of success, in my opinion: societal success, personal success, and academic or professional success. If someone can achieve all of these three levels of success, they are someone who has lived well.
“One has achieved success who has lived well and laughed often.” This quote seems to explain the meaning of success. If someone is able to laugh often then they have definitely achieved happiness. The idea of living well is a very vast statement. In order to define success in relation to this statement, an individual must be able to define what it means to actually live well. There are different levels of success: societal success, personal success, and academic or professional success. If someone can achieve all of these levels of success, they are a person who has lived life to its fullest potential.
...alues, judging other people’s actions, and questioning the righteousness of our own morals. Though depending on our religion or background we may all have different feelings and opinions about what is right and wrong, it is virtually impossible to go throughout one’s life without taking part in some sort of exploration into one’s own morals. Even though many of us may inherit our morals from our families or cultures, it is important that we explore why we believe what we feel is morally right or wrong, morally good or bad. Are the morals we get from our families truly our own? Have we been through enough life experiences to distinguish our own morals from those that have been pushed on us by our culture and society? Through exploring these feelings, we are able to make the best possible decisions for ourselves that will in turn determine the standards of our lives.
Happiness is a feeling that comes from within. Scientists define it as chemical being introduced to the brain that causes this feeling, just like many other emotions one can feel on a daily basis. To each person that feeling of happiness can be caused by a multitude
Happiness is a feeling that cannot be broken if strong enough, no matter how much sadness or hate is around you. Happiness can come from the smallest thing, for instance, music makes me happy and can easily change my mood, or when I am doing something I love my mood is easily changed. For others it could be whenever you do something well, or right and get recognition for it. It is the easiest feeling to be spread and given out but often neglected and forgotten about which is something we should all be more aware
This emotion can be metaphorically compared with expressions such as, the sun shining through the rain and the “silver lining behind the dark cloud”. These expressions capture the optimistic outlook of happiness, they symbolize hope of a bigger, better and brighter future even in the midst of what could be termed as the “darkest hour”. Happiness is the essence of life, the wind gently blowing flowers in the open field, the puppies frolicking in a pile of leaves, and is reflected in the merriment of men. It is exciting, playful, full of good cheer and lighthearted and signifies life. It brings the smiles to the faces of children one to ninety-nine. Happiness i...