Supreme Happiness
Aristotle emphasizes the belief that if doing good and achieving “supreme happiness” were every man’s desire. In order to be truly happy, we must possess a desire and be truly committed to doing good. If we are truly happy, we will never have to worry about being distressed. Happiness is found truly in the journey of life, not in the arriving of some destination, or the end itself. Aristotle completely agrees with that point of view, in his words he describes happiness, or the human good, as the activity of soul exhibiting excellence (Nicomachean Ethics, Solomon). That activity of soul exhibiting excellence is in the journey, but in the journey to what? Happiness is the ultimate end or goal of being completely virtuous, but it is something that is found in the activity of striving for that end. So how does one know if the end they have chosen is something that will bring that happiness? How does one achieve this end? Why are there so many different ideas and definitions from different philosophers on the meaning and method of attaining real happiness? Aristotle believes that animals and children cannot experience happiness because they are not capable of being happy. Aristotle believes that happiness is the ultimate end or goal of being completely virtuous but some actions that people perform might be good but are not necessarily completely virtuous.
Happiness is the ultimate end. So many people in the world today have different temporal goals, different aspirations, and differences in what they would call the good which brings or is happiness. But the many do not give the same account as the wise (Nicomachean Ethics, Solomon). So if everyone is aiming at some good, which might be in their view the highest or ultimate good, does that mean that it is the ultimate end which Aristotle defines as happiness and which brings happiness in the pursuit or activity thereof? No, because some peoples actions and goals for...