according to aristotle, what should you do if you want to live a good life?
How to live a life that is fulfilling and meaningful? A question asked probably for eons. Ancient Greek philosophers were one of the earliest thinkers to respond this question. Their writings passed down for a couple one thousand years remain relevant today for living a flourishing life.
Two of the nearly important ancient Greek philosophers werePlato and Aristotle. What they wrote over ii,400 years ago have radically shaped western civilization into what information technology is today. So whether you lot know or don't know their philosophies, there is no doubtfulness that these two great thinkers take had a meaning impact on our way of life even today.
The Greek philosophers called a flourishing life eudaemonia– a branch of ethics in philosophy that deals with well-being as the ultimate good for people. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the study of happiness.
I say mistakenly because these Greek philosophers had a very different concept of what is happiness than our modern viewpoint. Today, happiness is portrayed as a country of heed at any given moment, more than or less a subjective mindset. We largely have a commonsensical view of happiness–maximizing pleasures while minimizing pain.
To Aristotle and Plato, they equated happiness with a more a objective mindset–not but as a transient state of mind. Happiness is a result of human flourishing. In other words, eudaemonia is our well-being broadened out throughout life in which nosotros live to our total chapters. In essence, a life well lived.
The Athenian Solon said, "Phone call no homo happy until he is dead," suggesting that happiness pertains, in its broadest sense, to the full course of one'southward life.
Plato
Plato was a student of the swell philosopher, Socrates. Although many people called Socrates "the beginning dandy philosopher," he actually left no writings.
Afterwards Socrates was put to death by the land for corrupting the youth of Athens and committing blasphemy confronting the gods, Plato became his successor. Plato wrote many books in philosophy, and he used Socrates as the main graphic symbol of his dialogues.
Plato believed all human beings naturally desired eudaemonia through moral thought and deportment past way of virtue. The Greeks chosen virtue "aretê"- roughly translated to pregnant excellence. Virtue and happiness were inextricably linked, such that it would be impossible to have one without the other. In other words, a person who has developed skills of excellence in idea and their actions would achieve eudaemonia.
To Plato, well-being did not depend on external goods, simply how weuse these external goods (whether wisely or unwisely). Individuals who just aspire for great wealth, fame, and ability for its own sake were misguided. To Plato, a life well lived was achieved past the pursuit of higher cognition and human being's social obligation to the common skillful.
How does one develop "aretê" or virtue according to Plato?
Beginning, by thinking more.
"the unexamined life is not worth living,"– Socrates in Plato'southward Amends
Plato wrote in the book Apology that when Socrates was on trial, he was asked why he questions everything? Socrates replied very simply, because "the unexamined life is non worth living". Socrates taught his students to examine everything that y'all hold of value. Don't merely take something of value as the truth until yous examine it or question it through rigorous reason. To Plato, the person who lives his days without reflecting on his life or his surround will non live a flourishing life.
As humans we have a encephalon that can reason. Nosotros are all designed with the power reflect upon what we believe, to seek the truth, then nosotros could either defend or disregard usually held beliefs. In turn, nosotros get wiser and more likely to live a flourishing and meaningful life.
Cocky-mastery of reason over desires.
In Plato's Republic, man is good when he uses reason to command his actions and turns bad when he discards reason. A human that ignores reason will become overcome by unchecked desires that can accept detrimental consequences. By mastering our utilise of reason, we can amend obtain harmony and self-control. Similarly every bit said in the Apology, Socrates' call to alive examined lives allows our reasoning abilities to direct our thoughts and actions instead of relying simply on our impulses which can often pb us astray. Instead, by controlling our stubborn appetites through reason and acting accordingly for the common practiced, ane would obtain eudaemonia.
Live by iv cardinal virtues
In Plato's Republic, four virtues lead to harmony in an ideal society. These four cardinal virtues were:wisdom, backbone, temperance, and justice. Although in the Republic, the cardinal virtues are known more as a political philosophy, these virtues are also applicative for individuals to possess.
In the Democracy, Plato argued that wisdom of the state should reside in the grade of rulers which he called the "guardians". The guardians rule by counseling the other classes and themselves. To have wise rulers, the guardians should exist well-educated thinkers. But an ideal guardian would not exist an obnoxious know it all. To Plato, a sage person has great humility in admitting "I know zippo at all".
Individuals tin possess the virtue of wisdom by pursuing a life of learning fueled by curiosity. Beingness a lifelong learner allows you lot to possess new skills and develop more in-depth cognition. In plow, this allows the higher potential for efficacy and cocky-mastery leading to a more than fulfilling life.
Courage is a cardinal virtue because a harmonious order is a just order, and justice requires communities to have courageous individuals who stand for what is right and to take a stance against oppression. Beingness dauntless is also essential for individuals when facing challenges. Equally Socrates said, "It is meliorate to make a mistake with full force of your being than to carefully avoid mistakes with a trembling spirit."
Temperance (self-restraint) is essential in club considering it protects confronting corruption and chaos. States that fail to identify rulers with temperant virtues volition risk a country that end ups in turmoil. A lack of temperance in a leader is a fix for rampant abuse and a lack of cooperation. Similarly, in individuals, those who lack self-restraint volition non achieve a flourishing life considering their excesses and lack of self-regulation will lead to a life full of vice and chaos. It is no surprise that mod psychology inquiry finds that people who lack temperance accept worse academic operation, more probable to corruption alcohol and drugs, are more likely to have mental illnesses, and accept more than conflicts in relationships.
Aristotle
Aristotle was born in 384 B.C., and by age 18 he became a pupil in Plato's Academy in Athens. Aristotle would also ponder his thoughts on a flourishing life, and he argued that Eudaimonia is the highest proficient for human beings.
Aristotle reasoned everything in this earth has a function. A knife has a office to cut. A blossom has a function to grow and pollinate. An fauna has a role to grow and breed.
Although humans like animals are also meant to grow and breed, Aristotle reasoned that what separates humans from animals is that we have a "human essence". That is we are a rational and social beast, so living a good human life means seeking to know and acting rightly with others.
How does one get more virtuous according to Aristotle?
Don't just seek knowledge, apply it
Aristotle, like Plato, claimed that one function humans have is that through reason we seek cognition near the world which we live in. He called this an "intellectual virtue" considering humans flourish past gaining new knowledge (e.m., through scientific discovery).
Nevertheless, Aristotle fabricated an of import distinction in the pursuit of knowledge and human flourishing.
There are two types of knowledge: One being theoretical or the nature of principles. The other is applied knowledge–that is knowledge of applying these principles.
And then by learning well-nigh the nature of things, we can learn to dispense nature to improve our lot in life. In our mod times, this is the basis of scientific discovery and the application of scientific noesis to ameliorate the homo condition. Equally an oncologist, I know learning about the nature of cancer is of import, but I contribute to a patient's well-being past applying my learned cognition. In life, knowledge is of import, but information technology is the actual doing that leads to human flourishing.
"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well."
― Aristotle
Develop a good character
The 2nd virtue of the proficient life is the virtue of graphic symbol. Aristotle reasoned in his volume Nichomachean Ethics that possessing intellectual virtues lone were not enough to achieve eudaimonia. The good life requires i not to just recollect about what is proficient, but to act rightly. And we act rightly by developing a virtuous character. Therefore the virtue of character is a skill that nosotros larn by doing, not just past reading about it. Going back to the chemotherapy example, you lot can guess that only because a physician has the intellectual noesis and know how for giving chemotherapy, he must also act rightly when giving it. A good doctor would non give these drugs to those he doesn't know if it volition assistance (eg, the side effects of chemotherapy can crusade great harm). This virtue is in fact a commencement principle taught to doctors in preparation: "first do no harm".
"We are what nosotros repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a addiction."– Aristotle (Nicomachean Ideals)
Aristotle said that intellectual virtues could be taught, just the virtue of grapheme required an individual to act information technology out to make it a habit. If you do the correct things over and over, you will develop and possess these virtuous traits. They become an ingrained part of your character. Take the virtue of rubber and the kickoff time you wore a seat belt. At first, maybe you lot would have to remind yourself or your parents would tell yous to put it on. But as you lot did this over and over, it became automatic. You probable now sit in your motorcar and don't even think almost information technology when putting on your seat chugalug. Wearing your seatbelt has become a habit engrained into your character because being safe is a virtue for living a skillful life.
Aristotle believed that individuals who achieve eudaimonia would possess xi virtue traits. These virtuous traits would fall within what he called "the gilt mean" between the vices of excess and deficiency. For example, in a situation of fearfulness, the virtuous person would non act excessively by rashness (i.e., moving recklessly) or deficiently by cowardice. Instead, the virtuous person would answer with courage doing what is right.
Another example would be in a conversation with someone. The virtuous person would possess wit but non so much that he looks like a buffoon. Alternatively, he would not come off equally boorish or rude.
In essence, by possessing and interim out on our intellectual virtues and moral virtues, a person would reach eudaimonia.
Like Plato, Aristotle too rejected the notion that external goods in of itself–having material wealth, honor, or having skilful looks– would lead to a good life.
Withal, he said that having these external goods are of import. For example, one who is built-in in the right state that is not oppressive with resources for its people will brand it easier to achieve eudaimonia. Aristotle believed that by being born in the right state, they would have laws that help improve the characters of individuals.
Aristotle's political philosophy for the good life also differed from that of Plato. Aristotle believed that leaders should have the intellectual virtue and moral virtue so that they could help direct their citizens into doing what is right. These leaders should have the knowledge and skill on how to develop an private'south grapheme. Leaders should empathize that most people acting wrongly either though viciousness or weakness, or they human activity to satisfy misguided impulses.
The goal of the state is to pass laws that assistance develop skillful habits, and in turn, people will become more than virtuous. Therefore, an individual will not simply want to practise what is correct, but does it because they will derive pleasure and happiness from those actions. Aristotle political philosophy brings up an interesting indicate for social justice regarding those who are less fortunate so they too can live a good life. What obligations does that state take and what laws does it need to pass so people can live a good life? As many of us know, this question is still being argued and debated today in our modern society.
Source: https://bzandmd.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/how-to-live-a-flourishing-life-according-to-plato-and-aristotle/
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