Plato Happiness Analysis

The term “happiness” is understood in ethics as the attainment of triumph and fulfillment. According to Aristotle’s argument, happiness is the highest goal of human beings and the majority of humans view happiness as achieving honor or physical pleasure. Aristotle disputes to be a wrong understanding of what good life is. He argues that people’s understanding of happiness is not in line with the understanding of true happiness due to their deficiency in virtue. Plato’s argument also asserts that human beings believe happiness could be achieved through possession of good things. He states that “a lover of good things has a desire … that they become his own. That’s what makes people happy, isn’t it – possessing good things”. Aristotle defines virtue as a disposition to behave in the right manner, which is instilled and nurtured from a tender age.

According to Plato’s definition, virtue is the balance of the four cardinal virtues: moderation, courage, wisdom, and justice. Plato argues that if any of the four cardinal virtues becomes too prominent over the others, they would result into a downfall. He argues that emotions yield courage, but they would need moderation in order to control their desires. Plato continues by asserting that wisdom would be inevitable if one would use moderation. He further asserts that upon the attainment of the other three virtues, justice would be attained. In Plato’s argument, possession of silver, gold, offices, and/or honors in the city would not be considered as good if these were not gained by means of moderation, justice, or virtue. According to Aristotle, happiness is more dependent on ourselves. He argues that happiness depends on the virtues cultivated in a human being.

According to Aristotle, h...

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...their time researching a term paper, but it would be worse spending the whole night watching television programs. The arguments presented by both Plato and Aristotle strongly argue that virtue is the key to true happiness in human life. They both identify happiness that humans misled from due to limited understanding of the true meaning of happiness. According to Aristotle’s argument, true happiness is that which cannot be swept away like wealth, that which is culminated within a person.

From the arguments of the two great ancient Greek philosophers presented, one would clearly identify that virtue plays a great role in achieving human happiness, and as a result, true happiness would not exist without virtue. The two philosophers also identify the misled perception of human happiness, and Aristotle defines true happiness as that which cannot be swept away or stolen.