Read Book I
text available at: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
journals due on Mar. 1.
Guidance questions:
1. what are people pursuing in the end?
2. what are the criteria of happiness?
3. What is the function of man?
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2. What are the criteria of happiness?
ReplyDeleteIn Nicomachean Ethics, as for happiness, Arisrole said, “happiness is an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue, we must consider the nature of virtue; for perhaps we shall thus see better the nature of happiness.” and he also said, “By human virtue we mean not that of the body of the soul; and happiness also we call an activity of soul.” According to Arisrole, the criteria of happiness related with “an activity of soul in accordance with perfect virtue”. But I think that the criteria of happiness are diversified because everybody has different one’s values, so it is depends on one’s values. For example, my former roommate said, “Meaning of life: Make yourself happy.” His goal is to be happy at the end of his life and his criteria of happiness are in his mind which would change little by little in his life. Meanwhile, only a few people can be in accord with perfect virtue in their activities of souls in their lives because it is very difficult for ordinary people like me to do it. Normally, the criteria of happiness for ordinary people are how much we could satisfy in our lives.
In Nicomachean Ethics,Aristotle explains that every intentional act is aimed at attaining good and the highest form of good a person can attain is happiness.he goes on to explain the relationship between politics and happiness,because the main aim of politics is to ensure the highest kind of good for people,but goes on to explain that politics may not be best for people because most have different ideas of what is best for them .
ReplyDeletearistotle also explains that although most people would agree happiness is the best form of good,peoples perception of what influences and what happiness truly is differs.aristotle explains that some people may associate happiness with exciting the senses'but that may not be the highest form because humans have higher aims like attaining wealth,honor,virtue.he then tries to analyze which type of good we could practically desire.he goes on to explain that although happiness is a form of good for itself,intelligence and virtue are good for itself and also for their result.
aristotle also explains that the the end result of a performance may be called good but the true could which could be called happiness has to be rational because humans are rational. he also tries to find out if happiness is associated with a persons life in general or just for a short time.he also talks about how family and friends can affect happiness.lastly he tries to explain how happiness and virtue are associated.
Happiness; the obtained unobtainable. Every human being with a conscience has a self definition of the word "happiness" which Aristotle sets out to prove here in Nicomachean Ethics. Assuming happiness is something that can be obtained Aristotle goes on to explain the association of politics and happiness and how the two coincide together. How politics is set out and set up to help obtain "good." In the end, he shows that in the effort to obtain happiness politics can do the opposite and set limits and boundaries making happiness unobtainable to the powerless and poor and granted to those with power and wealth.
ReplyDeleteWe see that in general happiness is set up at an individual perception level. Each person perceives happiness differently. What makes one person happy may not make another. Aristotle goes on to show that environment both human and surroundings can effect the perception of happiness. We all feel and know what makes us happy. At the end of the day, we as individuals are the only ones that can make ourselves happy.
What are the criteria of happiness?
ReplyDeleteHappiness is a complete and sufficient good. This implies that it is desired for itself, that it is not desired for the sake of anything else, that it satisfies all desire and has no evil mixed in with it, and that it is stable. Happiness formally defined as the complete and sufficient good for a human being. But there are many different views of what sorts of life satisfy this formal definition. Aristotle specifically mentions the life of gratification (pleasure, comfort, etc), the life of money-making, the life of (political) action, and the philosophical life, i.e., the life of contemplation or study. He has no patience with the life of money-making or the life of gratification, though he agrees with proponents of the latter that a happy life is pleasant.
There are several ways in which Aristotle approaches the question of what happiness consists in. First, he notes that flourishing for plants and animals consists in their functioning well according to their natures. So one question we should ask is this: What is the proper or peculiar function of a human being? Aristotle thinks it obvious that our proper function consists in reasoning and in acting in accord with reason. This is the heart of the doctrine of virtue, both moral and intellectual. So on this line of reasoning we are led to the conclusion that the possession and exercise of moral and intellectual virtue is the essential element in our living well.
A second approach is to survey the goods which we find ourself desiring, since happiness presumably consists in the attainment of some good or set of goods such that to have them in the right way is to be living well. One division of goods is into external goods (wealth, fame, honor, power, friends), goods of the body (life, health, good looks, physical strength, athletic ability, dexterity, etc.), and goods of the soul (virtue, life-projects, knowledge and education, artistic creativity and appreciation, recreation, friendship, etc.). The problem then is to delineate the ways in which such goods are related to happiness. Aristotle's view is that certain goods ( life and health) are necessary preconditions for happiness and that others (wealth, friends, fame, honor) are embellishments that promote or fill out a good life for a virtuous person, but that it is the possession and exercise of virtue which is the core constitutive element of happiness. The virtuous person alone can attain happiness and the virtuous person can never be miserable in the deepest sense, even in the face of misfortune which keeps him from being happy or blessed. So happiness combines an element over which we have greater control (virtue) with elements over which we have lesser control (health, wealth, friends, etc.)
Every human action is intended to some end, which is considered as good. Aristotle also discusses that everybody tries to attain a supreme good, which is happiness. I agree with Aristotle that every human being craves for happiness, which is the highest good and ultimate goal of any activity. Aristotle believes that happiness is the universal goal of every human being; however every person has a different way of achieving happiness. We choose happiness as the highest good because happiness is sufficient as an end in itself, which means that the final answer of any question is to achieve happiness. He further explains that intelligence and virtues are good only because they make us happy. According to Aristotle people are judged good or bad by their activity and their function. He justifies his statement by giving an example of flutist; a person who plays the flute well is a good flutist. Playing the flute is the flutist's function as it distinguishes him or her from other people. The distinctive activities performed by humans distinguish them from other living things.
Samantha Jones
ReplyDeleteThere is an art to those people whom are pursuing.
In actions and the people pursuing points that were thought to aim at some good. And for a reason, good declared rightly to be that which all things aim. Difference of a kind is found around the ends, some activities and some products better then the activities. There as many arts , and science ends and are in many. Medical art is health and ship and vessels, strategy victory, and economics wealth. Such art runs under one capacity. Bridle making and other arts having to do with equipping or the equipment of horses run under the art of riding, and military action in strategy and art fall on on others such as master arts as to all the subordinate ends as its sake of the former so that the later can be pursued . But no difference if the activities themselves are the end of the actions that were made, or ells of the activities.
Desire we do for ones and itself own sake, other being desired for the sake of this and if not chosen for a sake of something for a rate in proses would go on forever so that the gaol would become empty and in vain. There must be a chef good.. Not will but knowledge. Have an influence on life and the young in the idea of wise needing a leader and a life to grow old and influenced to gain the knowledge to grain the influence to walk out of the limitatoins of learning and the arts.
Political science and the truly mastered art to be of that nature, the art of science should be studied at a state an art that people the citizens should simply learn to a point and to see a high status fall under this.
All human action is intended for the sake of good. People aim at doing good. Then it is said that all good for people is happiness; it is one thing that people are constantly pursing. But what makes happiness? Honor? Wealth? Pleasure? Knowledge? Aristotle explains that gratification, money-making, politics, and honor do not bring happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe happiness sought out must also have an end, like, being able to fulfill one’s life completely. In order to discover what happiness is, one must determine the function of man because virtue consists of one performing their functions well. Happiness is something that is rationally thought. Then it’s just a rational activity. Aristotle goes on to explain that goods are divided into 3 classes. Class one is external goods, then, goods of the soul and then goods of the body; and of these the three kinds of goods, those of the soul are considered to be to the highest good. The people that do not have external happiness but still obtain it are labeled as being durable. He is acting virtuously in the event of misfortune. Happiness then is described as life lived in virtue.
In the first book of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle seems to target the same criteria of good and happiness as Plato does in the second book of Republic; only much more specifically and much, much more systematic, perhaps even sterile and cold. Without the aide of Plato's grand fictional settings, quaint back-and-forth dialogue and slow pace we are forced to fight our way through his dense reasoning. To quote something of fame, "we are not in Kansas anymore."
ReplyDeleteWhat is happiness? Let us consult the text; though we may have trouble comprehending what we read, we must follow this text closely, for it isn't as subjective as Plato, and there is much to be found within the dense words. Happiness, Aristotle says first and foremost, is the supreme good which we all strive for. A complete good which we choose for it's own sake; one that is greater than all others. Following that familiar theme of levels of good, Aristotle gives us three types of happiness that are commonly accepted by different classes of people: one says that is is pleasure, one says that it is in contemplation, and one says that it is honor. Aristotle goes far beyond these subjective comprehensions.
To achieve happiness, we must live virtuous. This is not enough just yet, however, for we must also enjoy our virtue and virtuous acts; "for no one would call [a man] just if he did not enjoy his just actions." As well, we must remain virtuous even in misfortune, and we must use our fortune and whatever tools we have available to aid not only ourselves but in our pursuit of virtue. To reach our end of happiness, we must remain virtuous during, until, and after it comes; through this, our souls will fulfill their virtuous function, and in this act we will achieve happiness.
(Of course, the question remains as to whether or not humans are able to achieve such a perfect happiness and state of being... but this is another story.)
Aristotle in the bookI shows us in a step by step argumetation what people pursuit in the end,what the criteria of happiness,and what is the functoin of man.
ReplyDeleteAristotle starts first by telling us that "the good is at which all things aim." which means that our main goal doing things is to look for a good.Then he said that the " the nature of the products is better than the activities." Which means that no matter how hard and clever are our activities only the final product is beneficial to us.Aristotle point out also that politics is the master art,that all knowledge and every pursuit aims at some good what is we say the highest of all goods achievable by action.This should be our duty.The end of all that is the happiness the achievable good by action, the universal good.This is the reason why he said that happiness is the chief of good which is evidently something final, self-sufficient,and lacking in nothing because it makes life desirable.
Finally Aristotle would argue that the good and the "well" is thought to reside in the function. this why he will said that for some it is identified with virtue,some with the political science,some wiht the philoophic wisdom and others include external prosperity.Then Aristotle argues about the rational tied to the activity of the soul and the irrational the opposite of that.
The happiness is the center point of all comments.It is defined very much all of us as the chief good which is evidently final form Aristotle's point of view in bookI. Is it that the real thing to mke our life better? I don't know. I hope to learn more from Aristotle's thinking.
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ReplyDeleteIn Nicomachean Ethics I, Focused more on the path that aim us humans to distinguish what we consider to be good. Book I, also gives a universal explanation in understanding happiness truth definition how happiness is not an emotional state; it is more what you can accomplish at your own potential leading this action to follow you thought your lifetime. For example: health, wealth and knowledge. For Aristotle happiness was the act of making both sides being equal. Not focusing on materials things but rather appreciating the long-term values.
ReplyDeleteAristotle once said: To achieve happiness, we must live virtuous. IN, which I think, is very narrow. Happiness come from all the above because we choose to be happy. Where as Virtuous are the moral and ethical principles that leads you to live a virtuous life.
We have the tendency to call someone good when we see a person giving a hand to someone that needs it. As human we have distinctive activities that separate us from plants and animals we got reasons. “Reason is in opposition to sensation, perception, feeling, desire. In which this case good should be a rational soul in accordance with virtual.
Because we live in a hectic world many people defined happiness as driving the newest BMW or just simply living the American dream. Not seeing the truth consequences behind having nicest things. Nice expensive car high insurance, credit cards bill collectors ect.
"Happiness it is not a state where one is free from imperfections, because all things that exist are imperfect. Of course, depending on your views and/or religious preferences, this statement may vary. Acceptance of one's faults is a path to happiness." The question is still remaining because nothing in this world can keep us happy for a long period of time. Yes we can feel happy but not fully reach to the stage of happiness since everything got its consequence.
At the end people are pursuing the supreme good which everyone agrees is happiness. The criteria for happiness is really based upon each individual. Some people group happiness with sensual pleasure which deals more with human life and animals. Others say receiving honor is the greats good. Plato suggests that there is only a single form of good and all good things are good in the same way.
ReplyDeleteCourtney Brown
ReplyDeleteBook one of Aristotles nicomachaen ethics talks a great deal about the pursuit of happiness and how one might define and go about persuing such good. He starts out by talking about man and his actions.he states that every single action is done with attempts at achieving some kind of good. He then begins to question weather or not this overall happiness and good is actually obtainable. an intresting point that is braught up is the pursuit of wealth and money and how that at times can be misconstrued as happiness. Aristotle claims that the persuit of wealth is actually not the good we are seeking in life. it just blinds us into believeing so. Money is only valued fo the sake of valuing something else. Aristotle makes a great point when he begings to really question how this universal happiness and good is obtained. he questions weather or not this happiness is something that can be learned or something that each person has in them already. I think the main point that Arisotole is trying to make is that in the end there is no universal happiness or a set code of good. people are different and thoughts on happiness and true good will always differ amongst the human population.
According to this passage, people are pursuing to the desire to be good. Good in a sense that can not only be honored by themselves and others, but also benefitted from opportunities. Aristotle uses the word “men” or man to signify all people; he says that good is unachievable or unattained by men. Does this means that this kind of good or happiness is impossible? Many examples are stated within the passage of those that are superior in profession that has wisdom and that are doing good, but are these men completely good themselves…
ReplyDelete“Happiness is something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action.” Stated in the passage, happiness is desired to be the chief good. As we function in a profession and excel or master this profession, we are assumed to have the greatest happiness. This means that we are functioned to do good in this performed activity of soul but without some type of view or virtue eternal happiness is not a strength of success. If happiness is something that is praised not prized, why do “men” long for this happiness?
Aristotle mentions that there is a certain pursuit in all man. This pursuit consist of several factors, but there is that distinguishes the most;it's happiness.
ReplyDeleteThere are several ways it can be achieved according to Aristotle. Each individual already has customized it's goals in life at the moment they are born. Nevertheless there is one big controversy about how happinees can be obtaiened at the end. He mentioned that happiness can be superficial, personal and physical. Also that the way each individual approaches and designs its path towards complete happiness would inflict on its conclusion. "The beginning more than half of the whole", the ends are different becuase we all have different views of the world, also because we belong to different social classes.
The fact that a single person can be happy, it's really a copilation of taskes to be fullfilled ,before being happy according to Aristotle. He says that individuals must be able to know themselves better than any other person, that experiences and life-time kindly mold the figure of each individual happiness. That happiness implies to something that can be able to fix deficiencies in us, not temporally ignore them.Nevertheless we must not forget that happinees it's also constructed by several tools, like external appreciation(recognition from others) and by (natural gifts)earth's blessings.
The fact that we today have a soceity shows; how our ancestors fought to reach their happinees. Every single action correlates with other. In the past there were different ideals and surroundings. Perhaps life and happiness were more a synonim than today. And as humans our finality of existance it's to reach happiness. Nevertheless we as the participants of a soceity our faults, success and ideas will ,also inflict on the way other people would draw their happiness.
In Aristotle's Nichomechean Ethics Book I, he explains the three types of life: Life of enjoyment, the political and the contemplative. He goes on to discuss how happiness is relevant to life. Happiness is good fortune and contentment. He explains that happiness is for self and does not benefit off of anything else. Happiness is something that is gained at the end of an action.
ReplyDeleteI think what Tayana refers to, "happiness is not a strength of success" is actually true because you cannot understand what true happiness is unless you go through some kind of struggle. Men long for happiness because it is something self-sufficient like Aristotle explained, it is something that is good for the self.
In book 1 of aristotles nicomachean it speaks of the human pursuit of the greater good,and how humans percieve and distinguish whats is good,and that this good that is being seeked leads o happiness.It goes on to say how humans use what they already know based on life experiences,or what another human may have been taught as a student to define the things that are believed to be good.Also it goes into saying how someone with no experience in life as a young man can fall short of truly recognizing what is good.Pointing out the fact that he may be able and listen to a lecture and learn what it might be like but he would never truly get the meaning of what is or isnt good unless he goes through some of "life experiences".It also mentions how may use only what they know to define something or someone they know little of.He uses the example of wealth and how people have this broad point of view for peolple with wealth by believing that these peolple have the happiness that is pursued.Not knowing much at all about the particullar person or thing.By this they mislead themselves to believing they figured out what true good is.
ReplyDeleteIn Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 1, he starts by saying "Every art and every inquiry, and similary every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim." In my opion that first statment, pretty much explains the purpose of man. Man is here to serve, of course every man's purpose is differnt in life. We are all in some way pursuing the same end. The end which we all pursue which all can agree would be happiness or for good. Now the criteria of happiness varies within
ReplyDeleteevery man. Man is chasing different desires,"we desire for its own sake(everything else being desired for the sake of this), and if we do not choose everything for the sake of something else(...so that our desire would be empty and vain),clearly this must be the good and the cheif good." For example my meaning of life would be happiness for my family. For the younger members of my family to never be denied and given a much better chance to make the best out of themselves."...though it is worth while to attain the end merly for one man, it is finer and more godlike to attain for a nation or for city states."
The piece explains that every action and pusuit is aimed at happiness. It is also explained that activities and other things which have no specific aim, are done in light of one making themselve happy. However, if anything lasted forever, "our desires would be empty and vain." The stuggle of pusuit makes the accomplishment that much more pleasureable and happy. If someone has it all and desires nothing, than they are not really happy. Another subject explored is knowledge. "Knowledge brings no profit, but to those who desire and act in accordance with a rational principle knowledge ... matters of great benefit." This means that knowledge really only benefits those who desire it and when obtained, they make use of it. Knowledge for purpose equals happiness as well. A few subjects touched on that do not equal happiness: Money making is compulsion and wealth in general will not necessarily make you happy.
ReplyDeleteIn Nicomachean Ethics The people are pursuing happiness. He talks about man and their actions. He also states that happiness is the best form of good, and peoples perception of what influences and what happiness truly is differs in all ways.
ReplyDeleteThe Criteria of Happiness Aristole notes that flourishing for plants and animals consists in their functioning well according to their natures. He also explains the three types of life. Theres Life of enjoyment, the political Life and the contemplative Life. I believe the function of man only a few people can be in accordance of perfect virtue in their activities of souls in their lives because it is very difficult for ordinary people to live a life of perfect virtue. The pursuit of Happiness means something different to each man in this world what happiness may mean to me wouldnt mean it to you in example if my happiness is wealth yours might be health.
The most important point that Aristotle stresses in book one of Nicomachaen Ethics is that all of man's activity should be an effort to achieve the telos of happiness. To him, endeavors that are good in and of themselves are the greatest good, and it is the pursuit of these that equate happiness and represent the purpose of mankind's rational capacity.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading this article Aristotle begins to break down the definition of happiness.He states that some people state how they are happy with their lives but argue that how can you be happy with your lives when your life is nowhere near its end. So in the end people are pursuing happiness, something that can only be achieved at the end of their longevity.Aristotle also goes on to elaborate on the criteria for happiness. happiness is not for self but for other. to be truly happy everyone around you must be at peace with themselves. honor, glory, and virtue is some of the thing that comes out of happiness but is not happiness in itself.The function of a man is to live happily and enjoy his happiness. a man cannot truly be happy if someone close to him passes. one must live virtuously and be at peace with his mind body and soul. any doubt is a sign of not being truly happy
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ReplyDeleteAristotle states firstly that we do things for the sake of their ends to better ourselves, aiming at some good, and that there are arts which encompass many of these actions. So then there are things we do for thier sakes, since if we only did things for their ends there would be no end. These things we choose for their own sakes must be the chief good and which we should figure out what fits in this category. He then states that goods are different in different actions i.e medicine, strategy etc. So the goods can be deemed as the ends of which actions are done i.e. medicine / health, strategy / victory etc. this though implies that there are many different goods / ends once again. So what we are seeking is the chief or final end. He believes happines is one such end due to the reality that we persue it for it in itself and not for something else, and that we choose to persue many other goods / ends in order to achieve this end such as honour, pleasure, reason etc. Yet we dont persue this end (happines) in order to reach a further end such as honour or pleasure or reason etc. It is self - sufficient = it is a goal in itself that makes life worth living, and leaves nothing for want.
ReplyDeleteEvery human activity aims at some end that we consider good. Thehighest ends are ends in themselves while subordinate ends may only bemeans to higher ends. Those highest ends, which we pursue for theirown sake, must be the supreme good. This supreme good that Aristotlespeaks of is happiness. Aristotle believes that happiness restswithin an absolutely final and self-sufficient end. He believes thatin order for a man to be happy, he must live an active life of virtue,for this will in turn bring him closer to the final end. Although somemay believe that these actions that the man chooses to take is whatcreates happiness, Aristotle believes that these actions are just amere part of the striving toward the final end. Aristotle thought that the practice of virtues would equate tohappiness, in the sense of being all you could be. By virtues,Aristotle meant the act of achieving balance and moderation.It was Aristotle’s belief that by achieving these virtues, happinesswould result. So for him contemplation was the highest activity humanscould do. Contemplation is the activity that refines and discoversvirtues. Carried out continuously it allows you to reach yourpotential. Aristotle claims a human's function is to do what makes it human, tobe good at what sets it apart from everything else. He concludes thatthe function of man is activity of soul in accordance with reason, orat least not without reason. He identifies two different ways inwhich the soul can engage: reasoning (both practical and theoretical)and following reasoning. A person that does this is the happiestbecause they are fulfilling their purpose or nature as found in therational soul.
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