A critical examination of Aristotle’s concept of happiness

A critical examination of Aristotle’s concept of happiness

  • Submitted By: tjc138
  • Date Submitted: 04/10/2016 12:24 PM
  • Category: Philosophy
  • Words: 3927
  • Page: 16

A critical examination of Aristotle’s concept of happiness



In the essay Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia will be dicussed. The starting point for the essay give an overview Aristotle think he has demonstrated that the ultimate goal is happiness. Then I will move on to explain the criteria for eudaimonia specifically completeness and self-sufficiency. After this the problem of multiple final ends will be dissucessed. Following this the self-sufficiency of eudaimonia will be examined. The function argument will be explored and then critiqued, Finally the lack of knowledge on how one is suppose to live by Aristotle concept of happiness will be discussed.
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The essay will firstly discuss Aristotle and his inquiry into the ultimate good, and eudamonia

Aristotle’s argument in the opening two chapters take the following form:

1) Each discipline has a goal (or good) which it aims at.
2) The higher the discipline, the better its goal
3) If there is a highest discipline then there is a best goal or good.
4) There is a highest discipline
5) Thus there is a best goal (or good.) (Pakaluk, 2005, p. 50)


Aristotle states right at the beginning of the Nicomachean Ethics ‘Every sort of expert knowledge and even inquiry and similarly, every action and undertaking, seems to seek some good’ (1094a1-2). Aristotle then explains that certain goods are better then other goods. Some good ends are activities while some ends ‘are products of some kind, over and above the activities themselves’ (1094a1-2).

In the case ‘where there are ends over and above the activities, … the products are by their nature better then there are activities’ This is best clarified by illustrating examples, take for example a carpenter, the end product e.g. a wooden chair that is built by a carpenter is better then the actions involved in producing the chair.
Aristotle then goes on to list a way in which different disciplines with different good ends can be regarded...

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