A Brief History of Eudaimonia

Happiness varies from person to person. It is very Subjective. Happiness can be defined in million ways.
Specially in psychological field because here, “Operational definitions” always ongoing and changes
quite frequently. Eudaimonia got a special place in psychology. According to Deci & Ryan, Eudaimonia is
about individual happiness (2006). Its actual meaning is, happiness doesn’t come from end result (result
one person gains after performing an activity), but it comes from process of finding one’s true nature. In
simplest words, actual meaning of eudaimonia is happiness (Deci & Ryan,2006; Huta & Waterman,2014;
Heintzelman,2018). But it’s meaning changes when directly translated from ancient Greek, sometimes
become “Welfare”, sometimes “Flourishing”. This main concept has come from Aristotle’s
‘Nicomachean Ethic’s’. Which can also be called “Science of happiness” (Irwin,2012). Socrates and Plato
had already shown similar concepts. They were Aristotle’s mentor.

Socrates on Eudaimonia: Socrates was a Greek philosopher who is well known as one of the founders of
‘Western philosophy’. He was also a teacher. As per Socrates, eudaimonia is an “Ultimate Goal”. For him
virtue is the main factor in eudaimonia. He mentioned some virtues like; courage, patience, justice etc.
When we combine them, we get the knowledge of virtue. Like Plato, Socrates believed that “Virtue is a
form of knowledge” (Bobonich,2010). We all know that, many of Socrates ideas are inspired from Plato.
Both Plato and Socrates believed that, virtue has mainly come from the knowledge of “Good & Evil”.
According to them, Knowledge of virtue is like a ladder to reach final destination “Ultimate Good”, which
is “Eudaimonia”’. We all can reach this ultimate goal as humans, by ‘us’ Socrates meant “An Individual”
(Waterman,1993; Deci & Ryan,2006). Socrates expressed that, virtue is the only thing that is needed and
sufficient for eudaimonia. A Person who is not virtuous, can’t gain ultimate happiness. Simply putting,
he/she can never experience true happiness. A person who is virtuous can never do any evil work. If the
person is virtuous, Socrates automatically entitled the person as ‘pure’.

Plato on Eudaimonia: Plato was an ‘Athenian philosopher’. Plato always tried to follow ‘Virtue Based’
eudaimonia concept. He believed that, general people sometimes naturally feel sadness, when inside in
their mind they know, they did something wrong or unethical (price,2011). The thought of doing
something wrong keep moving inside their head. It’s all about the acknowledgement and realization of
what he/she did in the past. According to him, eudaimonia is the highest and ultimate goal of moral
thought and behavior. As per Plato, people feel true happiness when they chase value. Value is “central
to flourishing”. Plato wanted to provide refined concept’s, but he didn’t give any direct definition to it.
As per history, he never used the term ‘Eudaimonia’. Though he didn’t say eudaimonia openly, but still
his ideas, concepts were very similar to eudaimonia. One thing is worth noticing, there is similarities
between ‘Eudaimonia’ & Maslow’s ‘Self-actualization’ because both share the same idea of “ultimate
goal for individuals” (Heintzelman,2018).
Aristotle on Eudaimonia
Aristotle was one of the greatest ancient Greek philosophers and scientists. From Aristotle’s
philosophical work “Nicomachean Ethics” the concept of eudaimonia came. Aristotle gives us
his concept of morals, faith, and Happiness in Nicomachean ethics. Aristotle’s eudaimonia has
been interpreted in various ways. In etymology, eudaimonia is a combination of the prefix Eu
and suffix daimon where Eu means good or well and daimon means sprit. (Gavertsson, n.d.) In a
simplistic way, we can say eudaimonia means “Happiness”. (Huta & waterman, 2014). The main
idea of eudaimonia is “pursuit of virtue, excellence, and the best within us” (Huta & Waterman,
2014)
Socrates and Plato also gave us a concept of Eudaimonia. But Aristotle’s eudaimonia different
from Plato and other thinkers that for other virtue is enough for eudaimonia where for Aristotle
virtue was needed but virtue was not sufficient. (Annas, 1993). Not only our act has to be
virtuous but also our intention has to be virtuous. Aristotle’s eudaimonia consists of both
intellectual and moral virtue. [ CITATION Cat20 \l 2057 ]. Eudaimonia is not a state rather that it is
an activity that involves the exercise of reason. Eudaimonia is a rational activity that helps us to
pursue “what is worthwhile in life”. Aristotle believed that happiness does not lie in pursuit of
material wealth, power, and honour but in how we live our lives. [ CITATION Cat20 \l 2057 ]. His
analysis says that happiness is the quality of life that we seek throughout our life activity and we
can’t find happiness directly. Happiness is intermediate between deficiency and excess. Aristotle
believed in rational activity in pursuit of virtue itself.

Aristotle and his view on Ethics

Aristotle is like his teacher Plato one of the most prominent philosophical representative of
ancient times. Our scientific philosophical knowledge has been significantly developed after
Aristotle’s Metaphysics. Aristotle wrote two ethical book name “Nicomachean Ethics” and
“Eudemian Ethics” and a short work on virtue and vices called “Magna Moralia” or “Great
Ethics”. Nicomachean ethics have been Aristotle’s most read and influential book where he
describes personal morality and the goals of human life. Though it was written more than 2000
years ago it gives us significant insights into human needs and conduct. As a member of society,
what is our responsibility we can understand from his rule of conduct and explanation on virtue.
Aristotle’s ethics is common sense ethics which is built on naturalism and self-realization
(Bykova, 2017).
Aristotle believed that ethical theory different from theorical science. He explained ethics
between certain and uncertain thing. Aristotle promotes the practical study of ethics. He
encouraged us to “examine the nature of our actions and how we ought to do them”. Our aim
should not be to know what is virtue is but to become good. Aristotle’s ethics enable us to
understand what goodness is and not concerned with how to act in a particular situation or
procedure for deciding the dilemmas situation (Bykova, 2017). The main point of Aristotle’s
view on ethics is
 The highest good and the goal of all human activity is happiness. Though the practice of
eternal and universal truth happiness can be defined.
 One can achieve happiness by a virtuous life, development of reason and by theoretical
wisdom. But for this one need to ensure health, leisure and opportunity for virtuous
action.
 Moral virtue is the middle of extremes and deficiency. And it is called the role of
moderation. No desire is bad if it is controlled by reason according to moral principle.
 Virtuous acts require conscious choice, moral purpose and Motivation. Everyone has a
personal moral responsibility.
 Moral virtue requires moral action. Ethics and politics are closely related. Good politics
create a society where men can live good life and develop full potential.