Aristotle theory of happiness

             1) Aristotle's theory of happiness states that happiness is the highest good. There are many items that are good, but goods pursued for their own sake are of a higher good than goods pursued for the sake of something else. The highest good cannot be improved by the addition of anything else. The highest good is desirable for itself, is not desirable for the sake of another good, and all other goods are desirable for its sake. Happiness is the only good pursued solely for itself, and is an end in itself. Honor is external, wealth is a means to further ends, and a pleasurable life does not equate to a "happy" life.
             Humans are unique to animals due to their ability to be rational. Humans that live with good reason are good humans. In order for something to be good requires virtue. Therefore, in order to live well we must use reason virtuously. There are two kinds of virtue- intellectual and moral. Moral habits are acquired by habit, not by nature. A rock cannot be habituated to rising. Acting virtuously attains moral virtues. One can act virtuously and not mean it, therefore it is not a virtuous act. In order to perform a truly virtuous act one must have knowledge that it is a virtuous act, must perform the act simply because it is virtuous and the act must be derived from an unchangeable character. Moral virtues are the mean between the two extremes (doctrine of the mean). The extremes, deficiency and excess, are considered vices while the mean is virtue. With respect to anger, the vices are short-temperedness (excess) and insensibility (deficiency).
             2) Animals do not have rights. Rights entail obligations, but obligations do not entail rights. Although we have obligations to animals, they do not have rights to these obligations.
             Animals cannot bear rights because the concept of rights is essentially human- it has force within a human world. To say an animal has rights is to apply to its wo
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Aristotle theory of happiness. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 23:33, April 25, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28507.html