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Differences Of Happiness By Aristotle And Seneca

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It’s safe to assume that most people strive to be happy in their life. Individual happiness can be defined in a number of ways, for many people wealth is the answer to becoming happy while others may view health as an important component to happiness. Seneca, a wealthy and notable philosopher during the Roman Imperial period, does not consider wealth nor health as essential to our own happiness. Instead, he regards virtue alone as being sufficient for happiness (Vogt 2016). Aristotle, on the other hand, does not regard happiness as a human feeling but he views it more as an objective state or an achievement (Aristotle on Eudaimonia). The ancient greeks consider eudaimonia or human flourishing as happiness because it is more of a declaration …show more content…
Finally, I will conclude this essay with my own thoughts on happiness. Let us begin by analyzing the similarities and differences of happiness according to Aristotle and Seneca. Happiness for Aristotle is something that should be desired in and of itself. Meaning, we adopt relative goods or means to happiness because we choose these goods for the sake of …show more content…
My take on happiness deals more with perspective and the basic goods. Meaning, we live in a world where approximately 3.1 million children die from hunger each year (worldhunger.org). The simple fact that my myself and family do not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from is a blessing which keeps me happy. Therefore, knowing that I’m in a good place in the world and knowing that I have the basic things to survive like food, water, and shelter, keep me happy. One could say that I was lucky to have been born in a country that offers so much. I would have to agree with that notion because sometimes luck is needed in order to become happy. In addition, I also put value and strong importance on friendships and healthy relationships to help me sustain my happiness. As a side note, physical activity and mediation helps me achieve my own happiness because it gives me a sense of mental tranquility. Which I strongly agree that it is also an essential component in happiness. I would like to point out that not all people can be happy. Immoral and vicious people can not be happy because of their actions. Immoral actions are not good and do not lead to happiness because they are taking part in harmful actions which may impede some else’s

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