Happiness Is Not Everything
Spencer Shapiro
Professor Parekh
Introduction to Philosophy
27 November 2014
Word Count: 1748
Happiness is not everything
Happiness is what many people believe is the most important thing to strive for in life. In this pursuit of happiness, people have many different ideas of the right way to live their lives. Aristotle describes happiness as the ultimate end. However, his definition of happiness is not simply having pleasures. Morality is an essential component of living a full life and Kant uses the categorical imperative to show how to make decisions based on morality. In order to have good character, which according to Aristotle is essential to happiness, you must be moral. The goal in life, therefore, is not solely reaching happiness but rather living a life of morality. In this paper, I will argue that happiness, in the sense of satisfaction of desires, is not the most important thing in life because in order to flourish as a person, you must have good character.
According to Aristotle, happiness is not solely about pursuing pleasures. Living that kind of life would be a waste of a life. People of more refinement believe that the major point of life is to have honor. However, Aristotle believes this is also incorrect because it depends on “those who bestow honors rather than on him who receives it” (Aristotle 267). Meaningfulness in life should not depend on what others believe. Aristotle comes to the conclusion that happiness is the ultimate end that we seek. Every action we take will be for the ultimate goal of happiness, even if it is not in the immediate future. In describing how to flourish as a person, Aristotle defines happiness as “the activity of the soul, in accordance with virtue, over a complete life, with sufficient external goods” (Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics). He then breaks this down into four sections.
First, finding happiness cannot be a passive act. This means that one must actively pursue higher pleasures instead of just loafing around. Happiness is not just a feeling of satisfaction. It is a way of living. One cannot just sit around all day and watch television. This may be difficult for people to understand because many people believe the lower pleasures are as important as striving for higher pleasures. While the person might be satisfying his/her bodily pleasures, he is not actively pursuing higher goals and therefore not experiencing true happiness. Happiness also must be in accordance with good character. Virtues are needed in order to achieve what means the most to us. Without good character, we cannot be happy. In order for one to be virtuous, it takes practice. It must become a habit to act virtuous and not have to think about one’s actions. Further, happiness cannot just be temporary. It must last over an entire lifetime because a short time “does not make a man blessed and happy” (Aristotle 270). One must be constantly in this state of well being. Lastly, one cannot be happy unless they have sufficient external goods. Food, shelter, and friends are all necessary to thrive. The poor are unable to control their lives because they focus on basic necessities rather than being virtuous and happy. They just worry about survival and will do what it takes, sacrificing morality. On the other hand, the rich may face much of a distraction with all the material items available to them. Aristotle’s definition of happiness relies on good character in order to be happy. While it may be difficult to have all four parts of his definition coincide, one cannot thrive without fulfilling each part.
You cannot flourish as a person, be genuinely happy, without having good character. Aristotle says, “moral excellence comes about as a result of habit” (Aristotle 275). This means it must come as second nature to the individual. There can be no struggle within oneself when deciding whether an action is just or not. A person can, however, learn to be just. Aristotle believes that a person can become “just by doing just acts” and that there are six parts of character virtue (Aristotle 277). First, you must be in a stable state. Next, the virtue must have to do with choice. Third, the virtue consists of a mean between excess and deficiency. For example, courage is a mean between rashness and cowardice. The mean must be relative to us and must be determined by logos. Finally, a mean must be determined in the same way someone with practical wisdom would determine. It is determined by reason and not by arbitrary choice. This good character is necessary because if you struggle with yourself when making decisions, you will not be truly happy.
In order to flourish as a person, you must also have good friends. One cannot have true friends if one doesn’t have good character virtue. Happiness is impossible without friends. Humans need others in order to survive. There are three types of friendships. Friendships of utility are based on material possessions and the mutual gains one can get out of the others. There can also be friendships of pleasure. These are based on things that make each other happy but only on a superficial level. The most important kind of friendship is one based on virtue. That type of relationship occurs when one person likes the other person based on who they are. These friendships tend to last longer and they take much longer to develop. Aristotle says a “virtuous friend is another self”(Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics). It is important to treat your friend like you’d treat yourself. There are three major characteristics of these friendships. You must wish for and do what is best for the friend. You must enjoy spending time with these friends. You must desire what they desire. In fact, their desires essentially become yours and you must do everything in your power to help them reach their goals.