Aristotle's Concept of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aristotles Concept of Happiness - Essay ExampleAristotle uses Nicomachean Ethics in his theory of happiness to def eat up the view he takes on happiness. He begins by creating a large illusion that any things aim at some trade good. By saying that all things aim at some good, Aristotle means that every(prenominal)thing has some aim or end to be achieved and the restricted good which every guessivity intends to achieve actuates the nature of that activity. Aristotle gives an example of health and the practice of medicine, the main aim of medical accomplishment is to attain health for everyone and health is in itself a good. Therefore the aim of medical science is good. Activities carried protrude in the real world achieve something desirable otherwise they would not be practiced. According to Aristotle, activities ar hierarchically related to other activities and ends to ends (Broadie 11). Some ends are therefore assistant to others. Hedonists and non-hedonists would disagree on what is subordinate to what between virtue and pleasure. Aristotles approach focuses on subordination-relations to cover individuals with different ethical attitudes. Subordination-relations are seeming(a) to all who appreciate how diverse activities in a society are organized and the fact that all these activities aim at some common good. Aristotle argues that some end is eventual(prenominal) for an activity and concludes that the ultimate is the good and the best but some activities may lead to others or each to various ultimate ends. Broadie states that what is ultimate is not uniquely supreme, but it seems logically and ethically harmless, there could be conflict not resoluble by argument since it might not always be possible to act for the sake of one end without passing up an opportunity to act for the sake of another (14). Since hard-nosed people can annul having different ends becoming adversaries, anarchy or imposition of unreasonable decisions can also be avoided. Aristotle argues that keen if there is a best should come before deciding what is the best. For him identifying a knowledge or acquisition first cultivates a good identification of the object or end. As far as morals is concerned, the good is happiness. Despite the fact that everyone is mainly concerned for his own happiness, Nicomachean ethics does not ascertain or presume that a person can or should seek only his own good. It rather concentrates on activities and crafts in general. Aristotle argues that to form good decisions and carry them out, individuals need to understand impulse and not just apply philosophical ethics. Lectures on ethics cannot act up for moral discipline. (Broadie 20). It is not just enough to study in theory practicing things believed is a sure way of making progress. There is need to desire and act in congruence to reason. Reason does not just refer to philosophical light gained through analyse ethics but rather to a progressive pursuit of the good l ife. According to Broadie, the pursuit is realistic not just for being established from an understanding of principles but because a good life is the mental of good that can only be achieved if individuals place some desires as secondary to others (21). This gives an individual a sound mind to choose what to do and discard what he may have felt the likes of doing. In