Lauren Hilt

SAEL200-013

Journal 1

Aristotle and Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle (ca. 350 B.C.E./n.d.) states that “happiness seems, however, even if it is not god-sent
but comes as a result of virtue and some process of learning or training to be among the most godlike
things.” True happiness stems from experiences and what is learned from them. He states that these
experiences provide fulfillment when the pursuit is excellence. These activities can range from physical,
intellectual, or even moral ventures that provide lasting achievements, not fleeting concepts such as
money or power. Is this not a growth mindset? According to Carol Dweck (2015) a person with a growth
mindset believes that through hard work and dedication, abilities can be developed to create a love of
learning, resilience, and sense of accomplishment. Combining the two, to feel satisfaction and success in
life, one must have a growth mindset in each task one sets out to complete. Merely understanding the
concept is a challenge, being able to practice and have a growth mindset is a wholly separate issue. Does
the key lay in the “virtuous activities” that Aristotle mentions? Determining which of these activities are
good or bad requires its own ethical reasoning. Maybe a simpler way, albeit not always correct way, of
thinking of what is good is what will bring the most amount of good and happiness to the world, not
simply for oneself. Besides the actions that one chooses to participate in, life is quite unexpected, and
often these are the times we grow the most. One must understand that each opportunity we seek and is
presented to us has the option of providing valuable insights to aid us in our constant pursuit of
happiness and fulfillment.
 Works Cited

Aristotle. (n.d.). Nichomachean ethics: Book I. (W.D. Ross, Trans.). The Internet Classics Archive. http://cl

assics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.1.i.html (Original work published 350 B.C.E)

Dweck, C. (2014). Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve [Video]. TED Conferences.

https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve