(D)Aristotle: Eudaimonia

(D)Aristotle: Eudaimonia

1. • Aristotle’s idea of the Golden Man leads on to the concept of eudaimonia. When animate objects find their Golden Mean they achieve eudaimonia, which he viewed as the contentment attained when something achieves its purpose. EXAMPLE: sportsperson is happy when he’s doing what he’s designed for. He’s unhappy when he’s injured. EUDAIMONIA IS THE END( TELOS ) OF ALL THINGS AND ALL HUMAN BEINGS.

   • • At first, it may seem his idea of virtue and audaimonia lacks any moral basis. It’s just concerned with the fulfillment of a purpose. Therefore an eudaimonic bricklayer is one that builds a wall well and an eudaimonic farmer is one that produces prize tomatoes or beans. YET there’s a moral point that shouldn’t be lost: human’s live in communities and eudaimonia is designed NOT ONLY TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL FULFILMENT BUT TO FULFIL THE HAPPINESS OF SOCIETY WHICH BRINGS PEACE AND HARMONY
     • • EXAMPLE: uses the image of the human organs to illustrate this. Each sector of society has a particular role and each achieves eudemonia. Its achieved when all groups work in harmony; just like a body is healthy when all organs work together. Each group does this by fulfilling its Golden Mean. When one group doesn’t achieve its TELOS then the whole of society is likely to be impaired.