Philosophy Reflection Essay-Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Tomiris Tulegenova

#3 Assignment: Philosophy reflection essay-Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, book 1

        In his work “Nicomachean Ethics” Aristotle () examines the nature of happiness and what ways lead to it. He raises one of the most controversial themes at all time – the pursuit of happiness. He gives us the general idea of the definition of happiness, he talks about how this happiness could be reached among the human beings.  In the book 1 Aristotle asserts that there is some ultimate good, which is complete and self-sufficient, thereby defines this good as happiness. He attempts to argue that there could not an infinite number of extrinsic goods, there could be only one the highest good people pursuit throughout their whole life. This paper will examine the meaning of happiness and what from Aristotle’s point of view should be done in order to reach this “highest good”.

        Aristotle claims that everything has its logical end, every decision is directed toward a desired outcome. Those decisions are considered as the distinctive sign between humans and animals as in order to make a good decision person needs to be at least educated, intelligent and should use reasons. This decision or action could be performed for one distinctive goal, but that goal leads to one another goal, and so on, until this goal will reach the final goal, which person was pursued. “Since there are many actions, skills, and sciences, it happens that there are many ends as well: the end of medicine is health, that of  shipbuilding, a ship, that of military science, victory, and that of domestic economy, wealth. But when any of these actions, skills, or sciences comes under some single faculty ± as bridlemaking and other sciences concerned with equine equipment come under the science of horsemanship, and horsemanship itself and every action in warfare come under military science, and others similarly come under others then in all these cases the end of the master science is more worthy of choice than the ends of the subordinate sciences, since these latter ends are pursued also for the sake of the former.”(Nicomachean ethics, bk 1, chapter 1), gives an example Aristotle in the 1st chapter. Thing about people always argue is the nature of happiness. Some people believe that the greatest good could be found in honor, wealth, fame, glory and so on, however Aristotle tells us that there must be a greater good than that which honor, fame or glory rewards. Aristotle proposes that happiness consists of the man’s actions. It is because happiness of man could be identified by people’s actions. Man consciously make decision in accordance to their beliefs and possibilities, they rationally evaluates the situation. They have one proper function, which particular only to humans,  in accordance to which they could those “highest” goods. For example, the function of carpenter Is building things or harpist has a function of playing harp and so on.  Coming closer to the end, Aristotle pays readers attention on the classical conception of virtue. He claims that humans need to act in accordance with virtue as an integral part of person’s nature. He gives us the idea of the unity of all virtues. All virtues  somehow reinforce each other and they overlap in many ways.