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Aristotle On Good Life

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It is a common known fact that human beings are driven by a constant desire for happiness. What may come as more of a surprise though, is an argument by Aristotle stating “happiness is an activity of the soul” (1102a 5). If this is so, then the human good is determined less by our surroundings, experiences, and capacity for good virtues, and more by our respectable thoughts, morals, and virtuous actions. But it is not as simple as it sounds. Aristotle depicts for us the proper home life, the manner in which we acquire and develop the virtues that make up our character, and even who we should look to in order to understand what it is to truly live life in accordance with virtue. For until we reach this state, it will not be possible …show more content…

This is to say that a person that possesses good character will find happiness performing a good deed while a person of bad character may not find the task to be quite so pleasurable. This, along with the previously mentioned characteristics make up what Aristotle considers to be the indicators of a virtuous life. In short, to obtain a virtue, we must first have the correct upbringing which includes home life, personal experiences, proper example, etc. After this we must make the virtues frequent habit by means of repetition. Once a habit is in place, we will enjoy acting with virtue and at that point it can be considered a part of our moral character. The most important thing to be taken from Aristotle’s teachings though is the difference between our capacity for a virtue and living the virtue out in our lives. If we are not acting with kindness, patience, or gentleness, then neither can we say that they are part of our character. When a person finds that they meet these guidelines set by Aristotle, it is

safe to say that they are living their lives with the utmost virtue and are

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