The Pursuit of a Good Life - Essay Example

The Pursuit of a Good Life A good life is one that achieves happiness. Our lives are full of activities that try to pursue happiness. Happiness forms the basis of what it means to live a good life. There are people who do find the world as corrupt and evil. According to them, it means nothing to live a good life because at the end of the day the world is a cruel place. There are people who will argue that a good life entirely depends on a society that is good. Aristotle is of the view that a good society leads to good morals. However, a good life does not depend entirely on a society that is moral. This is because life is about the choices we make. Living a good life is a choice and by living by it, one gets to understand what it means to live a good life. A lot of people would argue that it really means nothing to live a good life. It, however, means a lot to live a good life. Aristotle is of the view that we aim at seeking happiness in our lives. This is true because we all seek to find happiness in our lives. Living a good life means being happy. Happiness leads to contentment. Every day we wake up and do different things in the aim of achieving pleasure or happiness. We all aim at finding joy in the things we do. It is possible to find people painting for free because they find comfort in what they are doing. People get to choose different professions depending on how it will fulfill their desires in various aspects of life. Some of these aspects include financial, emotional, spiritual and psychological stabilities. Happiness is the final result in all the things we do according to Aristotle (Irwin 12). This is because it leads to fulfillment of the goals of humanity and achievement of quality life. The main aim of humanity is to create a harmonious world. Harmony leads to happiness since it creates a comfort zone for all human beings. Happiness is the reason people fight for honor, wealth and power. Human beings strive to live quality lives filled with goodness and happiness. People may choose to differ by arguing that happiness is not the meaning of a good life because there are people who live a good life by doing what is not right. Aristotle is, however of the view that an act must be desirable in order for it to qualify as what it means to live a good life (Irwin 11). Acts such as stealing, raping, killing are not desirable acts in life. This means that a life of crime does not entail what it means to live a good life. Doing bad things causes agony and frustration among the people. Even the people doing bad things are usually not happy because they know they are doing wrong. These people also live shy from the public sphere and live a life of denial. Some people might further differ by saying that anyone can live a life that is good since there are acts which might be wrong but, are desirable such as a daring bank robbery. They would, thus, end up arguing that a life of crime entails what it means to live a good life because there are people who wish to have such kind of life. In Aristotle’s philosophical thoughts, he says that a desirable act should also have a positive value. It should seek the common good that humanity seeks. An act such as a robbery may be desirable and can bring happiness to an individual, but it does not stand for common good. A good life should be driven by actions which are desirable and do not oppress others. This is because happiness should be shared among all people. Reasoning also entails what it means to live a good life. Reasoning guides us in our ability to do tasks and make decisions in life. We all own the ability to reason and to make guided decisions in our lives. People may beg to differ by arguing that reasoning does not entail what it means to live a good life since we are all capable of reasoning. In Aristotle’s teachings, he argues that living a good life consists of engaging in activities that are guided by reasoning which leads to a virtuous life (Irwin 15). A life of crime, for example, is not guided by reasoning that leads to a virtuous life. Aristotle defines the term virtue as doing the right thing by avoiding the wrong thing (Irwin 15). According to Aristotle, we should use our reasoning capabilities in making decisions that are rational and that lead to a virtuous life. This in turn will translate to what it means to live a good life. Aristotle is of the view that a good life entails doing the right things and being morally upright (Irwin 20). It is more than just a state of mind. Being moral can be defined as having courage, which is learned by a habitual action not an analytical study. In other words, it means developing a situation in one’s own life where they can have the opportunity to act in a certain way. It is a flourishing act, one that flows for an entire lifetime. This means that when one gains a moral life, they live their entire life fulfilling it. Human beings develop virtuous characteristics overtime. As an example, we don’t learn to be courageous by reading about it. In order to be courageous, one needs to do something that they would be terrified to do. We all live in all kinds of societies. Some help us in upholding our morals while others lead us to being immoral. In order to achieve a life that is virtuous, Aristotle argues that we need to have friends, parents and fellow locals who can help us to maintain our virtues (Irwin 21). Critics may beg to differ because it means that if we lack people by our side then we are certain to lack morals. This claim can be supported by the fact that many children who were orphaned at a tender age end up being immoral people (Irwin 23). This means that people who lack friends, parents and fellow locals cannot achieve a good life. Aristotle’s claims may also create some arguments because there are people who have friends, parents and fellow locals at their side and yet they lack morals. Aristotle is of the view that being virtuous does not primarily mean that we need help from our friends, parents and fellow locals. In other words, one should follow their heart and be courageous even if it means not agreeing with the people they love. In order to be virtuous, one must understand that they bear the greatest responsibility for attaining and exercising what is morally upright or virtuous. We can be virtuous out of our own personal efforts. Our own efforts are, thus, the primary factors that are required for one to be virtuous. Living a good life means doing the right things. I personally know two girls who did not depend on the help of their loved ones and were so courageous, that they did everything alone. They always wanted to work in the beauty industry. Their parents shot down their dreams and told them that they would never make a living off having a cosmology degree. This first girl decided not to listen to her parents and do what she always loved, which was hair. She believed that if she followed what she wanted then it would make her happy, even though her friends and family didn’t support her. She took the risk of not making as much money, but she knew that’s not what mattered. What mattered was being courageous and trying what she loved (Irwin 29). Now, she is currently a hair stylist for famous people such as Kim Kardashian. The second person who can relate to this is the famous singer and actress, Jennifer Lopez who actually attended my high school, Preston. In Preston, Jennifer Lopez was a shy woman who did not do too well in school. My teachers who actually taught her said that students used to bully her and say that she would never amount to anything. Because of this, Jennifer never participated in anything since she was so self conscious about herself. When she graduated from Preston, she decided to be courageous and try for a role in a movie (Irwin 32). She ended up getting it and proving everyone that she could do anything she put her mind to. This proves that Aristotle’s statement on being courageous is something that is true. A person who wants to live a good life should do what they want, even if the people they love differ. What does it mean to live a good life? This is a question that lingers in our minds most of the time. Aristotle, a renowned philosopher, in his wisdom explained what it basically meant to live well or to live a good life. Living a good life means being virtuous, being happy and being able to reason (Irwin 34). The ability to reason well leads to a virtuous life that is full of happiness. He or she, thus, ends up living a good life. Human beings should use the right ways of finding happiness and living good lives and avoid using malicious ways. All people have the opportunities for living the life they need regardless of usual limitations. It is critical for all people to exploit their fullest potential and live a good life that they need. Aristotle’s arguments are valid because living a good life really means that one is happy. It also means that we live a virtuous life. A person living a virtuous life does what is good at all times. When one does what is right, they achieve happiness. Aristotle’s ideas are also convincing because they entail the basic fundamentals of human life. The ability to make rational decisions and live a virtuous life forms part of the basic things that leads to happiness. They are, thus, associated to happiness which leads to a good life. Works Cited Irwin, William. Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing. New York: New York University Press, 2013. Print. - Read More