Miramontes 1

Allya Miramontes

Philosophy

Dr. Groff

2/26/2023

Short answer:

3) How does Aristotle differentiate between praise and honor?

Aristotle says the differences in praise and honor is that praising something is showing

that thing or person in comparison to something already good. In the text Aristotle states “...for

being naturally possessed of some attribute and standing in some relation toward something good

and serious.” (Aristotle Book one, pg.19). Further explaining that praise comes about when you

are holding something to a standard that is already good. While honor is something that is good

and more divine in a way. Aristotle shows this example by trying to show how we can’t praise

the gods because it is already the highest good. The level of being praised and honored are two

different things. Being honored is more powerful because it is only you who is honored; you are

not being compared or praised by some good standard.

8) For Aristotle, how does friendship or the ability to make friends differ from the youth

and the elderly? Why is this so?

In Aristotle's opinion he right away thinks there are already different friendships you can

make. Thus the loving and kinds of friendships made are also different. In the beginning of page
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147 Aristotle states how older people make friends based on what seems useful to them while the

younger crowd goes for pleasure or what is adventurous (Aristotle Book 8, pg. 147). Letting the

youth make many friends will benefit them or not. Many youths make friendships like these

because to them the friendship is more about time spent, the adventures with such friends.

Aristotles sees the youth in many “pleasure” moments with friendships. Letting these moments

die quickly just as they started. Aristotle's states that the youth “...live accord with feeling, and

pursue especially what is pleasant to themselves and present at hand.”, and “The young are also

lustful.”( Aristotle Book 8, pg.147). The older people do not crave friendships on this level

because to be friends you have to have similar interests whether it is pleasure or use. For the

Elder Aristotle describes them as “sour” leading them to “...not become friends with those whom

they do not enjoy.” (Aristotle Book 8, pg.150). In the end, to be friends and to keep friends is

what people find pleasure within the friendship therefore leading to many older people having

friends based on what is actually useful and who they actually want to spend their time with.

12) Explain why in “The Apology” and/or in “The Crito”, Socrates does not think exile is

an option for him

The main reason why Socrates believes that exile is not an option for him is because he

believes he has not committed a crime and is being brought to prosecution by lies. Socrates

believes the court has brought him unwillingness and made diecious that do not make sense in

the eyes of the law. Socrates states “He says that I am guilty of corrupting the young but I say

that Meletus is guilty of dealing frivolously with serious matter…” and goes on to explain that he

is being condemned by “great misfortune” ( Apology pg. 28-29). Socrates believes that why
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should he be condemned to exile if he is teaching, which is the opposite of corrupting. He is

teaching the young these new ideas which go against the government in some ways. Which is

why the government wants to condemn him. Even though Socrates is condemned he does not

fear it either. He does not fear this judgment because he knows what he is standing for therefore

making his stance powerful.

Essay:

2) How does Aristotle define happiness? Why should we pursue it in his perspective? Do

you agree with Aristotle’s definition of happiness? Why or why not?

Aristotle defines happiness as self-sufficient. He defines it in this way because humans

can pick out what is self-sufficient between them, family, children, parents, etc. This way of

going about happiness is interesting because even though it is vague in a way where anything can

be self-sufficient depending on the person. Aristotle dives deep into his meaning of

self-sufficient and why overall it is the definition and key to happiness. Aristotle's ideas on

happiness come from virtue and looking deep in one's “soul”. In the short term it is all about

being at work with something. This action of being at work will ultimately lead to happiness. In

Aristotle's perspective we should pursue this because it is a way of life that fills an endless cycle.

It is something to pursue because you are taking a chance on working at something in your life.

Throughout Book one Aristotle dives deep into his meaning of self-sufficient and why

humans are good at this aspect. In a way we allow for things to ponder and we then choose for

ourselves what is “happiness”. Aristotle states “Happiness appears to be something complete and

self-sufficient, and is, therefore, the end of actions.” (Aristotle Book one, Pg.10). Aristotle

believes that self-sufficiency will lead to the end of a cycle. Whereas the cycle of finding
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pleasure in life will lead to no happiness in the end, even though you feel happiness at the start.

The way of pleasure is a short term happiness, not good or true happiness. Being self-sufficient is

a way of being at work with yourself. This level of being at work with yourself can lead to

completeness. Aristotle also explains how humans are also at work with their soul, finding and

carving out what and who they are is also a part of happiness. Doing this work is doing work for

your life and how you are living it.

Aristotle also shows that there are different ways of going about happiness (pleasure,

politics, and contemplation).Only one can get you to true happiness. When Aristotle says true

happiness he believes this happiness is life lasting in a sense. For Aristotle he believes finding

complete virtue will bring you with a great level of happiness. He believes to purse this great

level of happiness because he states “...who will be happy throughout life,for such a person will

always,or most of all people, be acting and contemplating the things…most beautifully and in a

complete harmony in every instance…true sense good and flawlessly squared center.” (Aristotle

Book one pg.17). For Aristotle this goal or being at work with happiness can lead to satisfaction.

He contemplates how there are many endless cycles in life with pleasure and other lifely things.

With happiness on the other hand if you pursue it the cycle ends. You and your soul will feel a

level of satisfaction that doesn’t end, but the cycle does.

I do believe the definition of happiness in the way Aristotle explains it in a way. Mainly

because at first I would think of happiness as a feeling, to pursue something. Where in the end

happiness itself is a cycle where it will be up and down. In a sense I feel like even if you pursue

happiness in the way of working with yourself and finding virtue there will still be ups and

downs. If you see it in a way where happiness is an emotion. Maybe if you do find completion

you can be in that state of happiness, unless you long for more.
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I do believe in Aristotle in definition because being self-sufficient is different or can be

taken differently for many people. We can take certain ideas that drive our self-sufficient

thoughts. Ultimately if we take those ideas and contemplate them you can work on your virtue.

Finding out what happiness is for yourself. Leading you to have a complete life because being

happy is a true form of living a good life that you carved and created for yourself.