Aristotle
Aristotle believes that eudemonia is the final goal in life. He notes that pleasure is related to happiness, but it is not the highest good. He feels that pleasure is good if it is for the right reason, and not done in excess. For example excellent activity is inherently pleasurable to the virtuous person. Happiness is the central idea, and bodily and rational pleasures are a detail needed to be happy. I will outline the idea of happiness, and how pleasure is related to it. Aristotle believes that eudemonia is the highest good, and it is the final end. This means that there is no other end. There cannot be a means to another end; it is final. Eudemonia is happiness. It is not a feeling of any sort. It is not a fleeting moment; it is permanent in Aristotle's view. Aristotle means that if one succeeds in leading the good life, it will be an overall good life. A man will not have lived a good life if he has recently won the lottery, or had any type of fortune bestowed upon him. If a man receives bad fortune it could impede his happiness. We cannot reason and say that he has lived a good life because before the tragedy he was living a good life, or on the way to living the good life. "The happy man will have the attribute of pe
Moral is formed by habit, but Aristotle points out that nothing that exists by nature can be formed by habit. This is what separates us from animals. It functions are growth, reproduction, taking in nutrients, etc. It is the activity, not just possessing it. One does not want to die knowing that they did not lead a good life. The other half is the desiring soul, which is also known as the animal soul. Animals have the irrational part of the soul, but they do not have the rational part of the soul. One may work all their life to become educated in mathematics, and they may become "excellent" in it. The vulgar man has intercourse only for the sake of the enjoyment of the body. This is animal like, and does not separate him from the animal.
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