Philosophy and the Pursuit of Happiness

The Pursuit of a Good Life: Understanding Reality and Happiness through Philosophy

• In Ancient Greece, understanding reality and the self was connected to the pursuit of a good life.
• Plato believed that understanding the world and the self was necessary for the soul to flourish.
• Aristotle made a distinction between theoretical and practical sciences, with ethics and politics falling under the latter.
• The aim of theoretical sciences is truth, while the end goal of practical ones is the good.
• Aristotle believed that every attempt to know is connected to the pursuit of human flourishing.
• Aristotle was the first philosopher to approach the problem of reality from a scientific lens and also dabbled in the problematization of happiness as the end goal of life.
• While Plato believed in two realities (the world of forms and the world of matter), Aristotle believed that reality is only what the senses can perceive.
• Change is inherent in things and every entity, including human beings, moves from potentialities to actualities.
• Every human person aspires for an end, which for Aristotle is happiness or human flourishing.
• Happiness, in this context, means a kind of contentment in knowing that one has maxed out their potential in the world and attained the crux of their humanity.
• John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle in the 18th century, which states that an action is right if it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the greatest number of people.
• Different schools of thought throughout history aim for the good and happy life.

Understanding the Good Life in Ancient Greek Philosophy

• Ancient Greek philosophy sought to understand both the world and the self, believing that knowledge of the external world is connected to knowledge of oneself.
• Aristotle distinguished between theoretical and practical sciences, with the former seeking truth and the latter seeking the good.
• Aristotle believed that every attempt to know is connected to human flourishing, and that understanding the good is necessary to achieve it.
• Aristotle was the first philosopher to approach reality from a scientific perspective and also tackled the complex problem of the end goal of life: happiness.
• Unlike Plato, Aristotle believed that the world we perceive through our senses is the only reality.
• Plato believed in two realities, the world of forms and the world of matter, to explain the seemingly contrasting manifestations of change and permanence in reality.
• Aristotle believed that change is inherent in things and can only be understood through observation of the external world.
• Aristotle believed that every human being aspires for an end, which is happiness or human flourishing.
• For Aristotle, happiness is not just everyday happiness but a contentment in knowing one has achieved their potential and attained the crux of their humanity.
• John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle, which states that an action is right if it maximizes happiness for the greatest number of people.
• Mill believed that individual happiness should be endorsed and that actions benefiting the greatest number of people are ethical and lead to the good and happy life.
• History has given birth to different schools of thought, all of which aim for the good and happy life.