The Role Of Happiness In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

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Aristotle views happiness as the end of good, because we choose happiness as an end itself. Many virtues are viewed as good since they bring happiness to us such as goodness or morality. Both of these virtues are seen as good since they fulfil their function of bringing happiness to someone’s life. But by these standards, anything that brings an individual happiness is seen as good so would murder be considered good if it brought someone happiness? Instead do we view the happiness of the whole over the individual or does being happy have to be within the bounds of the law.
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics Book 1 he believes anything that performs its function well is considered good. Aristotle treats happiness as an activity instead of a state. This is why he believes that something that performs its function well is good, since it has an activity its doing that it performs well. He also believes that happiness can be achieved through a proper social structure within a society. While having. a proper social structure may bring happiness it doesn’t allow for the ability to move up and down it. …show more content…
The irrational soul controls two parts, the part that governs our impulses and growth. While the rational part of the soul deals with control. This is what Aristotle believes differs us from plants and animals because rationality is something unique to humans. Because rationality is something unique to humans it must be a learned skill. This is why Aristotle believes that we are able to achieve good by preforming functions within society. The end goal of all our actions is for good to come of them. This is why good and happiness are often associated with each other even though they are difficult to explain. All actions boil down to it being good for something. With this rationality all the choices made significant or insignificant have one goal in mind and that is to achieve
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