Aristotelian concepts and philosophical analysis

¶ … Aristotle

Analyze a Concept -- Aristotle

According to Aristotle, virtue is behaving in the right manner. However, it is more than that in the sense that virtuous people behave this way because they want to. It is what makes them happy, so it is the path they choose. Not everyone has the virtuous nature. People can perform virtuous actions without being virtuous people, but these same people do not have virtuous character. On the other hand, people who have virtuous character generally perform virtuous actions. Whether they "have to" or not is not relevant. They choose to, because it is what makes them happy and provides them with a sense of fulfillment. Aristotle was very interested in virtue, and the difference between virtuous character and virtuous actions. Those who perform virtuous actions can also be trained to do so out of habit, so there are ways in which people can be taught to be virtuous. This will never be quite the same as people who are virtuous by nature, however, because engaging in virtuous actions does not mean that a person has virtuous character.

Developing a habit and seeing something a certain way as a lifestyle is not the same thing. This is a large part of what Aristotle tried to get across in the writings he produced. One of his most significant discussions was about the relationship between happiness and virtue. It is easy to say that people who are made happy by virtue will continue to do virtuous things, but there is more to the equation than that. The main reason it is more complicated is due to the fact that happiness in the way Aristotle meant it is not the same type of happiness most people would think of. When people think of being happy, they may think of simple joys, of family, or even of material things. For Aristotle, though, happiness was about a sense of belonging and fulfillment. There was a contentment to happiness that is not there in most modern definitions. It is believed that this version of more material happiness comes from a misunderstanding of the good life and what it really represents.

In other words, the person who is happy with surface pursuits and material pleasures, with physical pleasure, or even with honor, is not clear on what is really important in life. Aristotle is not stating that happiness is something that people should aim at, but rather the fact that happiness is something people do aim at even if they do not realize they are doing so. Instead of stating that it is important to live a life that is happy and successful, Aristotle's focus is to show people what a happy and successful life consists of. It is not material wealth, or really any of the earthly pursuits that so many people equate with being happy. Instead, it is much more about virtue and completeness. When a person is fulfilled, he or she feels complete and whole. This is true happiness, and Aristotle believes it can be achieved by living a life that is virtuous in nature. Those who choose this virtuous life, based on a virtuous character, will be the ones who are happiest with what they have in life and what they are able to extract from it, as well as what they offer to others.

Virtuous behavior plays a strong role in the human good, and in the living of a complete and fulfilled life. When a person understands and extols virtue, he or she often does much more for others than for himself or herself. This does not mean the person is a "people pleaser" who only aims to make others happy, or a martyr who never has any fun or does anything enjoyable or "just for himself or herself." Instead, becoming a part of humanity and doing good things for his or her fellow man is the way the person who is virtuous receives the deepest form of happiness -- that of fulfillment and completeness. This is very different from the happiness found in material pursuits or physical pleasure, but it can be far more powerful and significant for the virtuous person whose focus is on something beyond the basics that seem to make most people happy.

According to Aristotle, the ways in which people find happiness in most cases are not the right ways to find true happiness. Since there is so much more to the complete human experience, people should pursue more "lofty" goals and dig deeper into what has actual value for the long-term. When looking at the entirety of human good, happiness is seen very differently from how most people view it. The human good is part of an experience shared by all living people at a given point in time. It is an important part of the life experience, but something that many people ignore for various reasons. Some may feel as though it is "too much" and others may not realize how much of the experience they are missing by staying focused only on their own life and not expanding to encompass so much more that is available to them through developing an understanding of others. Those who have virtuous character, however, will focus themselves on more interesting types of pursuits. They allow their deeds and actions to flow from their character, and that can shape the world around them in many surprising and unique ways.

Many philanthropists and others who are committed to making changes in their life and the lives of other people have virtuous character. That is what they focus on -- other people. However, there is an important distinction to be made here. When a person focuses on other people he or she can do that in one of two ways. There is the most common and most easily understood way, which is focusing on a few people who that person loves and cares for, and doing all that is possible to help those people, and there is focusing on all people as being one. In other words, people are all "in this together" and part of the human experience is to wake up to that, to understand and recognize it. People who live virtuous lives, not because they have been trained into those kinds of actions but because it is a part of their character, find that they are very fulfilled by what they do in their lives. They may seem as though they give away all that they have and all that they are to other people in the broadest sense, but this is what brings them joy and a sense of fulfillment.