No one has any doubt that achieving happiness It is achieved with a virtuous life. But, for most of us, happiness consists in the pleasures that the material world shares with us, even knowing that any wise human being seeks it in the exercise of an intangible life.
The latter, according to Aristotle, does not exclude the balanced enjoyment of sensible pleasures, since happiness is essentially about living and doing good; that is, to lead a life rich in virtues.
Practice virtues to achieve happiness
Greek philosophy and ethics were directed at the formation of character. One of the philosophers who contributed the most to this topic was Aristotle, whose definition of virtue he sought not to eliminate desires, but to channel them towards that end that is happiness.
There are three major works on ethics attributed to Aristotle: the nicomachean ethics, which consists of ten books; the Eudemian ethics, which consists of seven books; and the Magna Moraliaof which it is doubtful if it was written by him or by a compiler.
On this basis Aristotle, who together with Socrates and Plato symbolizes the western philosophical search, defines the concept of virtue. Virtue as the golden mean. The philosopher saw the virtues as character traits and tendencies to act in a particular way.
Each virtue is the midpoint between excess and lack. Applied in practical terms this means, for example, that a virtuous person will know how much he can drink without it being too much and without abstaining completely.
For Aristotle, we become moderate by practicing moderation and brave by practicing courage, among other such statements, which leads to the fact that virtue becomes habit.
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What are the virtues according to Aristotle?
Courage: the middle ground between cowardice and recklessness. The brave person is aware of the danger, but goes anyway.
Temperance: the virtue between overindulgence and insensitivity. Aristotle would judge the person who never drinks just as severely as the one who drinks too much.
Generosity: the virtue of charity, this is the golden mean between meanness and giving more than you can afford.
Magnificence: the virtue of living extravagantly. She rests between meanness and vulgarity. Aristotle sees no reason to be ascetic, but he also warns against being showy.
Magnanimity: the virtue related to pride; it’s the middle ground between not giving yourself enough credit and having delusions of grandeur. It is a fact that you must also act on this sense of self-worth and strive for greatness.
Patience: this is the virtue that controls your temper. The patient person should not get too angry, or stop getting angry when they should.
TRUE: the virtue of honesty. Aristotle places it between the vices of habitual lying and the fact of not being tactful or boastful.
Cunning: it is the midpoint between buffoonery and rudeness; This is the virtue of having a good sense of humor.
Sympathy: Although being friendly might not seem like a moral virtue, Aristotle claims that friendship is a vital part of a life well lived. This virtue falls in the happy medium between not being nice at all and being too friendly to too many people.
Shame: the middle ground between being too shy and being shameless. The person with the right amount of shame will understand when he has made a social or moral mistake, but he won’t be afraid to take a risk.
Justice: the virtue of treating others fairly. It is halfway between selfishness and selflessness. This virtue can also be applied in different situations and Aristotle has a whole chapter devoted to the various forms it can take.
Main photography: Sanja Marusic
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