Restrictions Of Happiness In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle’s work, Nicomachean Ethics, has influenced modern philosophy as it is considered by many philosophers to be the quintessential collection of ethical theories. Within this work, Aristotle discusses ethical questions pertaining to happiness, the Greek term known as Eudaimonia. Throughout Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents his argument on conceptions and conceptual restrictions of happiness. The main three conceptions, life of gratification, a political life, and life of contemplation, are all outlined by Aristotle; ultimately, he restricts his notion by stating that happiness resides only in life of contemplation. Coupled with his restrictions of happiness, Aristotle defines his notion as a human activity of the soul in accordance …show more content…
Because people base their definition of happiness on their own lives and desires, not everyone agrees with Aristotle that Eudaimonia is not pleasure. Reeve states that Aristotle does not completely convince his audience that a life of contemplation is the happiest life, “for who among us lives the contemplative life or can claim on the basis of experience that it is indeed the happiest of all?” To further this point, Reeve mentions another difference from Aristotle’s Eudaimonia arises when “someone is happy” and so one would “describe his life in psychological terms,” which is not always a complete evaluation for happiness. Additionally, “a happy life need not be successful or accomplished or admirable,” which is an important point that Aristotle does not address.11 To have a happy life one must not look at accomplishments and success, but many think these fortunes in life lead to happiness. There are some who agree with Reeve and believe that “happiness does consist in a favorable emotional state,” and if “what evokes it can vary from person to person, and – arguably – the person himself or herself is the final authority on its existence: if X feels happy, he is happy.”11 Hedonism>>>