Aristotle Being Good Essay

When examining the study of being good, we discuss defining the term, what the highest level of good is, and how one can be good. Aristotle first states that the term good can be seen as a goal that a human may aim to act upon. These human actions are performed for the supreme good which many refer to as happiness. This is because of happiness being an end sufficient in itself such as an individual gaining knowledge or virtue resulting in that person feeling happy, There are some philosophers who believe that pleasure is determined to be the ultimate good while others view pleasure as being entirely bad. Aristotle does not see pleasure as an evil, however, he doesn't see pleasure as an ultimate good either. There are arguments on both sides, but what is pleasure closer to? …show more content…
In addition, I will look at pleasure’s relation to eudaimonia and discuss why I agree with the majority of Aristotle’s arguments rather than the philosophers who view pleasure as an evil.
Pleasure is considered a virtue that gives an individual a feeling of satisfaction after completing an action of some sort or as Aristotle describes it as the unimpeded activity of our faculties. There has been a conflict on whether pleasure is always bad or if most pleasures are not disgraceful or harmful at all. Some may also see pleasure as a supreme good. This feeling of satisfaction can be found when the activity is either good or bad which makes people see pleasure mostly as a neutral. The philosophers who argue that pleasure is always bad believe this because some individuals gain pleasure from committing vicious and disgraceful acts. Other reasonings for pleasure not being considered a good includes pleasure being recognized as a process. not being seen as a quality, and not being sufficient on its own for a good life. Aristotle counters the first two arguments by stating that goods such as virtue and eudaimonia