On Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle concludes that the chief good for all human beings is happiness. Happiness as Aristotle puts it, is to perform specific functions or processes to human beings. Aristotle then proceeds to argue that the function of all human beings is an activity of living in accordance to a rational principle — one that is obtained through reasoning which results in being virtuous. To fulfill one’s function is to perform this function in an above and beyond matter. Happiness this way will be fulfilling to us humans and it will ultimately lead to a life well-lived. I however would like to talk about this matter myself and give my definition of what happiness may be. One thing I would like to begin with is to disagree with Aristotle’s “living in accordance to a rational principle” because what is rational? Yes thinking thoroughly about topics through reason only may be rational but does that mean it is right? Does thinking about a topic with facts alone mean that it will be right for us? Does this mean that living in accordance to a rational principle means it will bring us happiness? The way that I see it, to live to a rational principle means to sacrifice for the “greater good”; ultimately denying any “bad” pleasures or “bad” desires — I note them this way “..” because at the time pleasures and desires had the connotation of being bad. To live this way seems to live a life of many sacrifices, and being strict on one’s self; how can a life such as this bring happiness?

First, let us take the word “Happiness” and begin to break it down. We now see another word that may come to mind, “happy”, now what does it mean to be happy? What is “happy”? What is a common factor we see when people are happy? People all act differently, they jump around, get really loud, and some even begin to cry but what they all have in common is a smile. Now, this is no ordinary smile because smiles can be fake and can be forced there are many different types of smiles. However, in the case of being “happy,” it’s something that makes you genuinely smile. A genuine smile is one that is natural and one that makes us feel unexplainably good; it one that sends all of those good feelings and emotions through the whole body. Something happy, to me, is something that has happens unexpectedly, this is to be truly happy. To seek this “happy” moment again and again now becomes a pleasure and to live a life following pleasure is one that does not follow reasoning nor has control over one’s self. Now that we have defined “happy” which is an unexpected moment of good feelings or something that makes you genuinely smile we can now look at happiness. The “ness” to me gives a feeling of eternity and something whole or a feeling of something being very long. Now I give you my definition of happiness which is a collection in life of several happy moments.