Definition Essay On Happiness

Allison Pavlik

Professor Storck

Philosophy 109

February 23, 2015

Happiness

As humans we are born with a desire to achieve certain tasks in our life. One of those tasks happens to be finding happiness. Without happiness one has not truly lived. Everyone has their own way of reaching it, but it is solely dependent on yourself. When asked what does it mean to be human, as human beings our one goal in life is ultimately to achieve happiness in any form possible.

Happiness is the ultimate end and also the purpose of human existence. In life everyone is seeking something in some form or another. They may be seeking a good reputation, wealth, intelligence, or strength. However, none of these aspirations should be what humanity aims for. To be an end, or what is aimed at, it needs to be something that we can reach ourselves and is ultimately desirable. Aristotle says, “The same conclusion that happiness is complete also appears to follow from self-sufficiency” (8). He says we need to do things that we are able to do on our own and they in turn need to be something we desire to do. We want to do it for ourselves and not for

It is the final end that embraces ones life. Happiness is not a sensation. One cannot gain or lose it in a day or hour. It is the ultimate value, and in a sense the main goal of ones life. It measures how well one has lived up to the full potential of being a human being. Aristotle says, “ For the same reason a child is not happy either, since his age prevents him from doing these sorts of actions. If he is called happy, he is being congratulated simply because of the blessedness” (9). Aristotle is stating that a child is too young to understand happiness. When people believe they have reached happiness it is actually blessedness one is feeling. One cannot truly judge if they have reached happiness until they have exercised virtue and have had a complete