On Happiness 1 Essay

Submitted By SaaraC
Words: 677
Pages: 3
Open Document
ethics

On Happiness
Sara, Reno, Mia

~Happiness as the Chief goal of Ethics
Is and/or should Happiness be the Chief goal of Ethics?
One may argue that other entities in life make up the top priorities of Ethics, such as Religion, Moral Code, as well as other virtues. Yet, is it not true that happiness is all derived from the aforementioned. Therefore, by being able to stand for something and have morals to believe in, humanity has the chance to obtain happiness. The real question lies in the difference between individual and mass happiness. Can one exist without the presence of the other? Individual happiness(Analysis)
The happiness of the individual is the ultimate goal of ethics. By the individual achieving happiness, a domino effect of happiness and good deeds will occur within society. In Aristotle’s “Pursuit of Happiness” he discusses the Five Steps to Happiness. In which they are:
*Friendship ”even less happy is man whose children and friends are worthless”(24); to surround oneself with people of worth will allow for Happiness:
*The Golden Mean, to use Happiness as a virtue of courage,justice,benevolence and other desirable virtues; one must develop a strong moral character:
*The Perfection of Human Nature, Happiness depends on the practice of Reason, therefore humans must exercise reason either through moral beliefs, God, a higher power, or a certain philosophy to remain holistic and within sanity:
*Intellectual Contemplation, for people to think in general, to be able to express thoughts and think and study, ultimately to be educated: * Happiness cannot be obtained until death, there for humankind must live their life as a goal and must live for something in order to achieve true Happiness, the other steps should be followed.
Ultimately, without the Happiness of the individual, Happiness of the masses cannot exist, because there would be chaos within the individual's life, not allowing them to function within the masses.

Key Quotes(Analysis Continued):
“…the function of man is to live a certain kind of life, and this activity implies a rational principle, and the function of a good man is the good and noble performance of these, and if any action is well performed it is performed in accord with the appropriate excellence: if this is the case, then happiness turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.” (Nicomachean Ethics,
1098a13).
“He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life.”
(Nicomachean Ethics, 1101a10)”
“There is only one way to happiness
Show More

Related Documents: On Happiness 1 Essay

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics: The Chief Human Good

addresses the importance of happiness and what it means to seek happiness. Discussing the main principles of what forms happiness can take and how humans display their happiness, Aristotle forms his opinion around the idea of the chief human good, which is also referred to as eudaimonia. Aristotle uses this to base his instrumental reasoning that all things are done by a human for the sake of happiness. This idea of the chief good is in Chapter 7 where Aristotle said, “Happiness in particular is believed…

Words 840 - Pages 4

Essay about Mill Notes

"greatest happiness principle." * Utilitarianism cannot be "proven" in the ordinary sense of the word, Mill asserts, since it is not possible to prove questions regarding ultimate ends. Rather, the only statements that can be proven to be valid are those statements that lead to other statements that we accept to be valid. However, this does not mean that we must judge first principles arbitrarily; we can still evaluate them rationally. Fundamental principle of morality: greatest happiness principle…

Words 948 - Pages 4

Ethical Egoism: A Controversial Claim Of Social Psychology

One common assumption is that the interests, needs, and happiness of other people should factor in our moral evaluation of things. If we accept this assumption, we think that our moral evaluation of an action involves balancing our self-interest against that of others. What is morally right or wrong depends not only on how some action impacts us, but also how it affects others. Ethical egoism is the theory that this common assumption is false; each person ought to pursue his/her interests over…

Words 1546 - Pages 7

Charles Lindbergh Definition Of Success

characteristics: overcoming obstacles to achieve your goal, happiness, and respect. First, achieving your goals is an element of success. Specifically, the key part of achieving your goals is what you went through to obtain it. Charles Lindbergh, an American aviator, once said “Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds” (Clemens 1). Someone who was able to go through the struggle…

Words 654 - Pages 3

Essay on Mediatation and Happiness

Meditation and Happiness Meditation, a mind-body practice, has gained popularity in recent years because it is believed to be effective in reducing stress and altering significant biological processes that result in people feeling happier about themselves, their bodies and their spirits. What is meditation? Despite its diverse forms and variety practices, meditation can be defined as a family of self-regulation practices that bring mental processes under voluntary control through…

Words 812 - Pages 4

Unit 7 Learning Journal Analysis

essay that responds to the following questionnaire on happiness: http://www.meaningandhappiness.com/oxford-happiness-questionnaire/. I will share my score, and how I rated for happiness; in addition, share how this might change any of my thoughts about how happy I am, and how the test makes me want to make any changes. Finally, point out if you have missed any of the 3 elements described in the textbook. My score: On a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 is strongly disagreed to 6 is strongly agreed; I have…

Words 635 - Pages 3

Omelas Essay Outline

Away From Omelas Introduction: Thesis: In our society we tend to live for our own happiness even if that means harming others in the process. Our society is like that of the Omelas, in history and in present time. Body Paragraphs: I. Striving for our own happiness and living in denial of those who suffer. A. Our happiness is important to us, but we are willing to take from others in order to get our happiness. 1. “Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting”(253). 2. we are willing to watch…

Words 472 - Pages 2

Happiness and God Essay

individually. He said that they should think about what God thinks will benefit the church, not their own plans for the church. How is this relevant to your life? This Synod has the ability to change my view on some very controversial topics. 1. What is one thing that stood out to you in Sewing Hope? Why? One thing that stood out to me in Sewing Hope is that the young women were able to resume normal living and be happy after their traumatizing experiences in the rebel army. It is crazy what…

Words 812 - Pages 4

Definition Paper

Mr. Philip Schaust English 10600 – Paper 3: Definition paper 1 March 2013 Different Sources From Where the True “Happiness” Come From My own definition of the term “happiness” is unique than others. “Happiness” is to be able to appreciate every second in life. I define the term as the warm feelings that arise from one’s desire and willingness to help others who are in need. “Happiness” comes from enhancing the ability to value the opportunities in life, as well as to overcome and enjoy the…

Words 976 - Pages 4

Positive Psychology: Study Guide

Psychology 118 Exam 1 Study Guide POWERPOINT SLIDES What Is Positive Psychology? What are the three pillars of positive psychology according to Seligman (2002)? Positive Subjective Experiences Happiness Pleasure Gratification Fulfillment Positive Individual Traits Strengths of character Talents Interest Values Positive Instituations Family School Business Religion Community Sociey 2. The early Greek philosophers identified two components of happiness, hedonia and eudaimonia…

Words 3581 - Pages 15