Expertly Crafted Essay On Aristotle

Aristotle has focused on three types of ends, which are instrumental, intrinsic, and ultimate. Eudaimonia is regarded as ultimate end of human conduct. Eudaimonia comprises of happiness and living a good life. According to Aristotle, happiness is not equal to amusement or physical pleasure. However, for him, happiness is living life in a well manner towards attainment of good. He considered that activity is not a state, but a habit, activity, and practice. Eudaimonia indicates overall happiness, which consists of the totality of life of an individual. It does not only comprises of the situations in which an individual experience much pleasure, but as a matter of fact, it includes things that make others happy, and adopting an unselfish attitude toward other people.
According to Aristotle, Eudaimonia is attained not through wealth, power, and honor; rather it is achieved via rational actions in virtue over a happy and complete life. In views of Aristotle, rational activity is friendliness, honesty, rational judgment, and witness. Eudaimonia is, however, attained via the practice of virtue. There are two forms of virtue, intellectual and moral. Intellectual virtue is learned with the help of instructions, and moral virtue is learned via habits. Eudaimonia is supreme good because it is an activity or an action of the rational soul in association with virtue.
Virtue is an indication of the golden mean, and comprises of courage, generosity, honesty, modesty, ambition, good humor, composure, temperance, self-control, and friendship. In this regard, Aristotle mentioned that there are three criteria of a virtuous individual. Virtuous person is aware that he is behaving in a right manner, he selects to behave in a right way in order to become a virtuous person, and his behavior manifests him, and indicates that he is a part of virtuous and fixed disposition. Aristotle was of the view that a virtuous person is capable of finding a balance or equilibrium between vices, and also manages his resources in an effectual manner. For example, he adopts right disposition for spending money that is beneficial for him as well as for others. Aristotle described that happiness depends on individuals.
Aristotle focused on the significance of developing excellence of character. Excellence represents virtue. Aristotle stressed that virtue is practical, and the main objective of ethics is to adopt good traits, and become good, not just to know about good. He believed that in order to acquire ethical knowledge an individual should have experience of the activities and actions in the life. Ethical knowledge is, however, not gained via theoretical knowledge. For an individual to become happy and virtuous it is necessary that he should not only focus on studying what is virtue rather he should actually perform virtuous acts in life.
Eudaimonia is regarded as highest human good. A person should not be only good to his self, but he should be truly a good friend of others, and help other in their problems and difficulties. Aristotle found that happiness or Eudaimonia is the ultimate purpose or objective of existence of humans.
In conclusion, Aristotle considered Eudaimonia as a main purpose of life of humans, and described that it is fulfilled and is dependent on individuals themselves. The major component that is correlated with attainment of happiness is virtue. Virtue is, however achieved, by ensuring balance between excess and deficiency, virtuous and non-virtuous acts.