Does fullfilling desires lead to happiness? In this paper I will try to determine whether or not the accumulation of material things or fullfilling desires can lead to a happy life. Also I will try not only to explain my own point of view on this subject but also will use famous works on human ethics. The definition of ethic seems somewhat blurry to me but studying this subject helps me to understand human nature better. It also helps to inderstand the nature of human deeds better. Some people find my interest in human nature rather weird but it doesnt bother me. The main concept of ethic is tightly connected with living surrounding.
Happines is one of that ephemeral concepts on which ethic is trying to give clear answer. Every person has his own idea of Happiness. And every person has his own path for achieving the final goal or the true and unleashed happiness. It may be lots of gold or fame, or nice home and kids. That is why it is not that easy to say whether or not the accumulation of material things or fullfilling desires can lead to a happy life. There must be one final end of all human actions, because a human action by definition is one that is done on purpose and for a definite goal.
(Aristotles Ethic) That is why I want to start this paper from Aristotle and his path to happy life. Aristotls ethic states that somewhere exist a complete and self- sufficient ultimate good and that this good is happiness itself. So acording to Aristotle the happy life is a good life and happiness is rather good itself. But there are other goods too such as as health and wealth, knowledge and friendship, and a good moral character. Such things are also god for us and we want them. Aristotle state that all men agree in speaking of happiness as the ultimate good, the highest good, the supreme good.
The Essay on Can Capitalism Lead to Human Happiness?
Capitalism is good at meeting many of our wants but has “big blind spots when it comes to others,” such as family relationships, a sense of community. Capitalism, by unleashing rapid changes in technology, business organization, and social and economic status, sometimes undermines institutions and systems of beliefs that evolved in quieter and more slow-paced times or cultures. Sometimes this is ...
In other words happiness is the state of human well-being which leaves nothing more to be desired. Still we cannot answer on the question about fullfiling of desires. Of course Aristotle thought that a man who has everything he really wants is a trully happy man. But it is not in the way we understand it. Philisophers from Ancient Greece had very specific ideology. Today we may find many their ideas Utopian and naive.
Nevetheless theyve created a good basisfor future scince. So when Aristotle states in his Nicomachean Ethics happy man is the man who has everything he really means that he has those things which he needs to realize his potentials. And that is why he wants nothing. According to Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D. Thus a man might have health, but not sufficient wealth. Or, he may have both wealth and health — but he may lack friends.
Another man may have great knowledge — but still lack other human perfections. (Aristotles Ethic) But one cannot obtain all goods at once. Always there would be something missing. A man possesses one or more of the things which his nature craves, he may lack others, and then he cannot be considered happy. There would be some real goods missing which he should desire and try to obtain. (Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D, Aristotles Ethic) Aristotles happy life includes all good thing in it. Health wealth, friendship, knowledge, virtue are an undeniable parts of happines.
If your life contain all this goods you are a perfectly happy person. And on other hand if fullfilling of your desires presume obtaining of all goods then they will lead to happiness. It is a pretty logical conclusion after considering Nicomachean Ethics but it is not where I want to stop. If for a one songle moment we will try to analyze our deeds (no matter how unbelievable it seems) we will see that all of them were dedicated on the achieving happiness. We may have some other motivations but subconciosly all of us are craving for real happines. Happiness is desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else. But honor, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we choose indeed for themselves, but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that by means of them we shall be happy.
The Essay on The Good Life One Happiness Content
I believe that subjectively we all act according to principle. These principles guide one's actions to experience a good life. An individual's perception of what a good life consists of may vary extremely from one to another. I believe that a good life consists of independent thinking; however, life should not be planned out or analyzed to the point where fear rules your life. Yes, it is great to ...
Happiness, on the other hand, no one chooses for the sake of these, nor, in general, for anything other than itself. Happiness, then, is something final and self-sufficient. (Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D, Aristotles Ethic) After careful observing of Nicomachean Ethics I may state that Aristotle was convinced that finding a real happines is worth of lifetime. Maybe this is the path we must take in our life. But I have my doubts on it because there are goals which we may consider of worth achieving and in truth it is a self-delusion. Aristotle tells that good moral character complet virtue is an inmportant factor in achieving happiness.
He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life. (Nicomachean Ethics) I understand this statement in such way that everyday we must choose between that and this. All our life consists of choices and decisions. Some time ago I even thought that if all our life depends on our decisions and choices does it mean that we are in control of our lives? Later of course I leave such thoughts to rest in peace because they are not even worth of considering. Because there are something else in our lives within chioces and decisions occasion or incident which can turn everything upside down. But as for the Aristitles virtue it is very understandable.
He teaches us to choose greater good inspight of the moment pleasure. Even if the path to greater good include pain and suffering. “Now if the function of man is an activity of the soul which follows or implies a rational principle, … human good turns out to be activity of soul in accordance with virtue, and if there is more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete.”(Nicomachean Ethics, Book I) At this point I agree with Aristotles completely (no matter how it sounds) maybe our worls would be better if everyone chose the greater good but it so unbelievable. Especially for modern people. We get used to the world we live in, we get used to choose what is better for us in that particular moment.
The Essay on Ethics and Moral Theory
The words “moral” and “ethics” (and cognates) are often used interchangeably. However, it is useful to make the following distinction: Morality is the system through which we determine right and wrong conduct — i.e., the guide to good or right conduct. Ethics is the philosophical study of Morality. What, then, is a moral theory? A theory is a structured set of ...
And do think about others while making our decisions? No. Aristotles states It is difficult for one to be guided rightly towards virtue from an early age unless he is brought up under such [i.e., right] laws; for a life of temperance and endurance is not pleasant to most people, especially the young. For these reasons, the nurture and pursuits of the young should be regulated by laws, for when they become habitual they are not painful” (Nicomachean Ethics, Book I).
As Ive mentioned early it is hard ti define single conception of happines because each man has his own conception. Aristotle has trully philosophical answer for that. He tells that happiness when it is achieved is one for all. So according to Aristotle we must seek for happiness and achieve it through the obtaining of goods.
This path may not be the easiest one but in the end we wiil gind true happines, one for all. On the other hand in Kant’s ethics the main idea is that happiness is not not a morally worthy pursuit. Lets observe this closer Kant and his moral law. Kant define happiness as getting what ones want. In spite of Aristotle and his virtue discussions, Kant doesnt emphasize on the happiness in his works beacuse it is not the basis of his system of ethics. His ethics contain happiness he doesnt make it the main idea of morality. According to The Moral Worth of Happiness Only actions which spring from respect for the moral law possess moral value.
However, the idea that personal happiness is not a valid moral end is a presumption in ethics, not a foregone conclusion — and a presumption needing just as much (if not more) justification as the Aristotelian notion of personal happiness as the final end. If we consider the utilitarian definition of happiness pleasure without pain, we can notice that Kants ideas are very close. According to Kant, happiness is continuous well-being, enjoyment of life, complete satisfaction with ones condition. (Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant: Practical Philosophy) In other words for Kant happiness is complete satisfaction of all ones needs and inclinations. If we take Kants position than with all responsibility I can say that the accumulation of material things or fullfilling desires can lead to a happy life. But, there is a really huge but and before we will state something lets examine Kants Weltanschauung more carefully. Happiness is not pleasure.
The Essay on Immanuel Kant S Moral Theory
Although Kant’s moral theory makes many great points about fairness and equality, the negatives of the theory outweigh the positives. Kant’s moral theory would never be able to function in today’s society. His theory is based solely on always fulfilling your moral duty. Which would be impossible since once someone told a lie or showed emotion everything would fall apart. Due to the fact that ...
It is not the virtuous, joyful feeling associated with living a moral life. Happiness is simply getting what you want. (The Role of Happiness in Kant’s Ethics) From the very definition of Kants happiness ….
