Aristotle The Good Life - 1708 Words

Aristotle: The Good Life Aristotle along with Plato and Socrates are three of the first and arguably the most important philosophers when it comes to modern day philosophy and ethics. Aristotle’s work extended beyond ethics and philosophy into scientific thought where he was a very important figure in that field as well. One of Aristotle’s greatest works was the Nicomachean Ethics. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores how people should live and concentrates on the individual’s ethical responsibilities. He outlines many different ideas and angles of what he considers the good life. These include the meaning of â€Å"The Good†, Virtues and Friendship. Aristotle was born around 834 B.C. in the town of Stagira in Thrace. He was the son of a physician named Nicomachus. Aristotles’s father died when he was still a child after which he was looked after by Proxenus of Atarneus. At the age of 18 he enrolled in Plato’s Academy. Here he studied under Plato’s tutelage for twenty years up until Plato’s death in 348 B.C. Aristotle’s time at the Plato Academy would have a profound impact on his early work and would be the basis for many of his written pieces. Some years after he was invited by Philip of Macedon to be the tutor of his son Alexander who would later become known as Alexander the great. After his tutoring of Alexander ended he devoted his life to developing a school called the Lyceum. The Lyceum was devoted to the study of nearly every realm of knowledge. Twelve years afterShow MoreRelatedAristotle Is A Good Life?1211 Words   |  5 Pages Aristotle is one of the most studied philosophers of all time and his works are widely utilized by academics and non-academics when discussing the common theme, â€Å"what is a good life?† Within many of his works Aristotle has addressed the concept of â€Å"eudaimonia.† Simply defined, eudaimonia is, â€Å"happiness or flourishing.† However, Aristotle defined eudaimonia a little bit differently, he claimed that eudaimonia was reaching one s ultimate human good by living well and completing one’s ultimate goalsRead MoreThe Good Life Defined By Aristotle1471 Words   |  6 PagesThe good life defined by Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics is a feasible goal that all humans should be able to aim for but restrictions make it impossible for all citizens of ancient Greece to achieve it which foreshadows the gender and racial stereotypes that can be seen in our culture today. Aristotle questions this claim by having an inner debate with himself in the process, he c reates many theories, but he clarifies what he determines to be the good life by saying, †Our present discussion doesRead MoreAristotle Think Made A Good Life849 Words   |  4 Pages Aristotle wondered what made a good life. When Aristotle asked others what made their life good, the answer always included happiness. Aristotle wanted to create a way for people to look at their lives and use knowledge to judge what happiness is. Aristotle found that this task was nearly impossible because people have vastly different personalities and view circumstances differently. With the Doctrine of the Mean, Aristotle explains that to achieve happiness, one must create ethical valuesRead MoreAristotle Viewed The Good Life As One In Which One Is Happy1816 Words   |  8 Pages Aristotle viewed the good life as one in which one is happy meaning doing and living well. Human beings can act rationally and have both needs and wants. These needs and wants are fulfilled by acquiring material wealth. Karl Marx defined a commodity in terms of it having a use value and exchange value. In a capitalist society, commodities are produced using human labor for exchange and, this means only products that must value are exchanged to satisfy human wants. â€Å"A commodityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Nicomachean Ethics By Aristotle1667 Words   |  7 PagesEthics, by Aristotle, Aristotle describes various way of living one’s life, the ultimate goal in life, and how to achieve happiness and live the best life. Aristotle describes three different kinds of lives in Nicomachean Ethics. These three lives consists of the life of honor, the life of pleasure, and the life of study. Aristotle, from the first book, insists that the life of study or contemplation is considered to be the best life. He argues that self-sufficiency is required for the life of studyRead MoreAristotles Balance of Eudaimonia880 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle’s balance of Eudaimonia Aristotle, the son of Nicomachus(Aristotle), known as ‘the philosopher, was born in 384 B.C.E, in a small city named Stagira in northern Greece. During his lifetime, he studied variety of subjects and brought knowledge to all aspects (Blackburn). He viewed that as a human, a subject who’s determined goal is to reach virtue and Arà ªte, is connected with nature and its balance (Golden Mean). Aristotle also viewed a good life as political questions. He analyzed thatRead MoreAristotle s Views On God997 Words   |  4 Pagesexpressed their views on how a person should live his/her life. Despite the agreeance that god is the highest being, the conflicting view between philosophers is on the way one should live his/her life of virtue. Through different perspectives, distinguishing good from bad is extremely difficult. Aristotle was not religious, did not think god was compassionate, and did not believe one would meet god himself in the â€Å"life after death†. Aristo tle believed that being virtuous was why one should be moralRead MoreAristotle s Views On Ethics1616 Words   |  7 Pages(intro) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher whose writings have carried on well past his life, and have held an influence across the world, throughout time periods, and are intensely debated to this day. Following his treatise on Ethics, Aristotle turned his attention to Politics, in which he claimed, â€Å"it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal;† [1] a bold statement that encompasses the whole of a species. However, Aristotle’s assertion thatRead MoreAristotle and Ethical Egoism818 Words   |  4 Pageswith the opportunity to grow and realize his or her true potential. Aristotle believes that this is something everyone should work to achieve. No one intentionally wants to fail at being a human being and so people do whatever they can to continue to flourish. Aristotle’s philosophy favors ethical egoism because he believes that everything people do is in order to secure their own happiness in the end. According to Aristotle, human’s have two sides, an animal side and a side of reason. If we onlyRead MoreThe Well Being Aristotle And Human Happiness1000 Words   |  4 PagesOur Well-Being: Aristotle and Human Happiness What is the purpose of a human being? â€Å"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence† (Nicomachean Ethics). When one thinks about happiness, these words said by Aristotle allow us to understand its significance. Through Aristotle’s teachings, he made it clear that the point of life is to be happy. Aristotle uses the word happiness as having to do with a person’s life as a whole, and not as the constant desire