Discuss Aristotle’s views on happiness. What, for him, provided the greatest happiness? What characterized the life lived in accordance with the golden mean?
According to Aristotle, happiness is the best remedy for performing natural things and fulfilling one’s own purpose. Humans think rationally that brings the greatest happiness. Humans are distinct from animals because of the reasoning ability and most of the human behavior is motivated by appetite. Action directs at the surge of an appetite that causes discomfort by eliminating negative thinking. If the activity is successful, the person or animal experiences pleasure that ultimately results in happiness.
Unlike other animals, the humans use their rational powers to suppress the appetites. Thus, the greatest happiness does not come from satisfying the biological needs. Infact, the greatest happiness comes from practicing the rational powers to the full level of extremities. Disturbance of rational powers arise to the conflict of satisfaction and remote rational goals.
Aristotle described the best life of moderation in the famous book named Nicomachean Ethics that tells about the living conditions and priority of thinking about rational thoughts that was adjusted according to the golden mean. The lives of many humans are controlled by the pain and pleasure that comes from the frustration and satisfaction of the appetites resulted in revealing of character as two dominating characterizable entities.