Evangelista, Aubrey Unique M.

December 14, 2018

BSN – 3A

Using Aristotle’s philosophy, I think that Juan is capable of living a happy life despite the

unfortunate circumstances where he has to provide, as a father, to a family of 5 even when he only

earns minimum wage. Living a happy life does not entail possessing a lot of money, property, or

any material wealth. For Aristotle, Human happiness is not in one’s ego, but in being with others.

We can say that Juan and his family doesn’t have much of material wealth, but this does not hinder

them from being capable of living a happy life. To live a happy life, one must find value in it and

one must be able to use his resources for the well-being of his family and of himself.

Finding value in life means knowing one’s purpose in living. Human as we are, we are

relational beings. That is to say, we can’t do things on our own. We need others and other people

needs us. We are to be with other people and do what we can to also contribute to their

development. One cannot say that he/she is truly happy for happiness isn’t something that is gained

for a day or hour or so. For Aristotle, happiness is an ultimate end and we can only say that we are

happy once our life is over. That is, if we have lived up to our full potential as a human being.

To quote from the text, “Human happiness is not in one’s ego, but in being with others.”

One is capable of living a happy life even if circumstances don’t make us buy what we want. We

have to find value in our life and be able to make proper choices which would contribute to our

development as a human being. To be human is to be with others and in this manner, one can live

a happy life if he lives up to his full potential of being a human. This is the reason why I believe

Juan, a father of three and a husband to an ill wife, can live a happy life.