Dear Readers,
Welcome to another edition of Happiness & the Meaning of Life. We discussed Being and Becoming and Saying ‘Yes’ to Life in previous volumes. As a reminder, you’ll find links to related podcasts and meditations at the end.
I hope you find something useful for daily life!
J.W.
Happiness & the Meaning of Life
Happiness & the Meaning of Life is a philosophical study of the art (and science) of living well. The course explores the writing and philosophy of Aristotle, Seneca, the Buddha, Epicurus, William James, and many others. Expect to learn perennial lessons (and practices) to help you flourish in the modern day.
Today’s meditation turns to Aristotle for perennial lessons on habits and the highest good. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes the goal of life,
Now, if our actions have a goal that we wish for because of itself and we wish for everything else because of it (rather than always choosing because of some further thing, an infinite regress that would make desire empty and futile), clearly this goal would be the good and the best. Knowing it would surely greatly impact our lives since we would be like archers with a target and more likely to hit the mark.
Like Seneca (and others), Aristotle believes knowing what we aim at is essential. Or, as he asked, ‘What is the highest good that we aim at in our actions?’
According to Aristotle, there is general agreement on what to call it since ordinary and sophisticated people say it is happiness (or living well and doing well). However, interestingly, different from other aims, happiness is the final goal or an end unto itself.
