In pursuing the happy life, Aristotle and Saint Augustine employ differing methodology toward achieving a similar outcome. While Aristotle focuses his view of happiness on human behaviors and actions, Augustine takes a much more spiritual approach. Where Aristotle believes that happiness is found in the achievement of one’s full potential, Augustine finds true happiness to exist only in God. In a more specific sense, where Aristotle believes that study and understanding is the key to human happiness, Augustine discounts study as being a distraction from God and therefore a stumbling block to human happiness. This contention between their differing views on study highlights the central difference between Aristotle and Augustine’s arguments;
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This ultimate goal is called “eudaimonia,” and it is the achievement of this eudaimonia that Aristotle believes brings true happiness. The greatest good of any object, according to Aristotle, is to perform its function well. And his belief is that as humans, our function is twofold; activity of the soul in accord with reason and activity of the soul in accord with virtue. (Aristotle, 9) Therefore, in order to achieve eudaimonia, we must as humans act in the most reasonable and virtuous way possible. Aristotle has very specific opinions about what these most reasonable and virtuous actions entail, as we can see in Book X of his Nicomachean …show more content…
The person who knows [God], even if ignorant of natural science, is happy. Indeed the one who knows both [God] and nature is not on that account happier.” (Augustine, 75)
In this passage, Augustine rejects the concept of study as a contributor to happiness. In the first two sentences of the passage, he reiterates his belief that the only true happiness is God. In the last sentence, Augustine takes his argument even farther; not only is study not the true source of happiness, but study will not add any happiness to that which is attainable from God. This argument, based solely in Augustine’s faith, leaves no room for compromise. After establishing the true source of happiness, Augustine readily rejects all human actions as contributing to
This ultimate goal is called “eudaimonia,” and it is the achievement of this eudaimonia that Aristotle believes brings true happiness. The greatest good of any object, according to Aristotle, is to perform its function well. And his belief is that as humans, our function is twofold; activity of the soul in accord with reason and activity of the soul in accord with virtue. (Aristotle, 9) Therefore, in order to achieve eudaimonia, we must as humans act in the most reasonable and virtuous way possible. Aristotle has very specific opinions about what these most reasonable and virtuous actions entail, as we can see in Book X of his Nicomachean …show more content…
The person who knows [God], even if ignorant of natural science, is happy. Indeed the one who knows both [God] and nature is not on that account happier.” (Augustine, 75)
In this passage, Augustine rejects the concept of study as a contributor to happiness. In the first two sentences of the passage, he reiterates his belief that the only true happiness is God. In the last sentence, Augustine takes his argument even farther; not only is study not the true source of happiness, but study will not add any happiness to that which is attainable from God. This argument, based solely in Augustine’s faith, leaves no room for compromise. After establishing the true source of happiness, Augustine readily rejects all human actions as contributing to