WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

What is happiness?Is there such thing as ‘happiness that is final in itself’? Why?

Every action is directed towards the good/end

BECAUSE: goal is worthwhile (GOOD)

all ends are final ends?

REAL HAPPINESS?:End that is never desirable for the sake of something else

HAPPINESS (TELEOLOGICAL)

HAPPINESS & ACTIVITY: goals are goods that are

achievable by?Action (ACTUALITY & POTENTIALITY).POTENTIALITY IS MANIFESTED IN ACTIVITY (ACTUALITY)

ULTIMATE HAPPINESS = ULTIMATE GOAL = ACHIEVABLE BY ONE FINAL ACTION

What is pleasant is in the activity

Activity done for the sake of the end

Where does good reside? Activity or in the end?

ACTIONS NOT DONE VERY WELL?

REGRETS & RESENTMENTS: RATIONAL SOUL IS NOT

CONTENTED

HUMAN TIME

EXCELLENT ACTION?

VIRTUOUS ACTION = RATIONAL (SOUL) =

HAPPINESS

IRRATIONAL = COMMON TO OTHER SPECIES

HAPPY MAN LIVES WELL & DOES WELL HAPPINESS IS A SHARED

ACTIVITY

MAKING THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCES :

CREATION OF POLIS

VIRTUES = anything that is related to the idea of goodness (something that is rational/ “excellent activity of the soul”)

1. INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES• PHILOSOPHICAL

• Acquired/ inherited• Education/ culture

• PRACTICAL• Application of judgment

2. MORAL VIRTUES: 3 kinds of soul HABITS: repeating actions

PASSIONS/ VEGETATIVE PLEASURE/PAIN

FACULTIES (Body) Senses

STATE OF CHARACTER: EXCESS, DEFICIENCY, MEAN MEAN: EXCELLENCE

MORAL VIRTUES = HABITS: PLEASURES & PAINS

1. Concerned with pleasures and pain (passion)

Pleasures: we do bad things

Pain: abstain from noble ones.

2. Acquired through “practice, imitation, and habit”(“ethike”)

3. Dictated by nature? E.g. stone Men become builders by

building We are adapted by nature to

receive them, and are made perfect by habit.

MORAL VIRTUES

1. Conditions in which we stand… well or badly with reference to the

passions2. State in which virtue resides.

Virtue = excellence Excellent = aiming at the

intermediate (disposition of virtue)

lying in a mean (DEFICIENCY, EXCESS, MEAN)

STATES OF CHARACTER (rational soul)

To feel pleasure and pain at: RIGHT = MEAN

1. the right time, 2. with reference to

the right object, 3. towards the right

people, 4. with the right

motive, 5. and in the right

way.

T-O-P-M-W= EXCELLENCE

1.Adultery2.Murder3.Theft4.Gluttony5.Cheating6.Rape

EVERY ACTION/ PASSION ADMITS OF A MEAN?

Some have names = imply badnessImpossibility =

negative meanings to be right.One must always be wrong.

Impossible to commit adultery:the right woman, at the right time, and in the right way.

NOT EVERY ACTION NOR EVERY PASSION ADMITS OF A MEAN

“THE ONLY PERMANENT THING IN THIS WORLD IS CHANGE (movement)…”

1. MATTER + FORM2. SUBSTANCE3. TELEOLOGICAL

HAPPINESS LOVE

4. CHANGE AND MOTION: ACTUALITY & POTENTIALITY

5. 4 CAUSES OF SUBSTANCES

EVERY ACTION IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE GOAL/ END (TELEOLOGICAL) = MOTION?

Aristotle’s Substance:An object with both form and matter.FORM =

Function (peculiar to one/ not common with others)Function of man?

Rational principle (life that is in activity)MATTER =

Composition/ PropertiesIndividuationUniqueness

E.G.STUDENT:

Form: study Matter: study well with extraordinary strategies

GIRLFRIEND Form: company Matter: company (better/worst); “reciprocity = complete”

PARENT Direct Direct (understands); accepts

ARISTOTLE’S SUBSTANCE

ARISTOTLE’S ACTUALITY & POTENTIALITY

Acorn’s matter (uniqueness) contains the potentiality of becoming an oak tree.

Becoming an oak tree is the acorn’s actuality.

Each individual substance (form & matter) is a self-contained teleological (goal-oriented) system.

ARISTOTLE’S ACTUALITY & POTENTIALITY

a)MATERIAL CAUSEb)FORMAL CAUSEc)EFFICIENT CAUSEd)FINAL CAUSE

4 causes of all substances

a) MATERIAL CAUSE (objective) “Stuff” /OBJECT out of which something is

made E.g. chunk of marble that is to become a

statue.

STATUE

4 causes of all substances

b) Formal Cause (Subjective)

This exists both in the mind of the artist (subject)

Potentially in the marble (object) itself.

?

c) Efficient Cause (action itself)

Force = change is possible

What is the “efficient cause” in this picture?

d) Final Cause

Ultimate purpose of the object.

End product

MORAL VIRTUES: 3 kinds of soul

HABITS: repeating actions PASSIONS

(DISCONTENTMENT:) PLEASURE/PAIN

FACULTIES (Body) Senses (DESIRE MORE) EXPRECT MORE:

DISAPPOINTEMENT STATE OF CHARACTER:

EXCESS, DEFICIENCY, MEAN MEAN: EXCELLENCE

HAPPINESS THAT IS FINAL IN ITSELF