The Nichomachean Conception of Happiness

Happiness, to Aristotle, is a term for which much exactitude must be made. He understands that, "Happiness both the refined and the few call it, but about the nature of this Happiness, men dispute." As such, he goes to great lengths to attain a fairly accurate accounting of what he sees as Happiness. He begins by illustrating that Happiness is an End, establishes what he finds the work of Man to be, sets conditions on being happy, and then explains where in Man the cultivation of Happiness is to be sought. The result of all these ideas is his fully developed sense of Happiness, an understanding vital to his conception of Ethics.

Happiness, for Aristotle, is an End in and of itself. "For (Happiness) we choose always for its own sake, and never with a view to anything further." This conception of Happiness is vital, as Aristotle seeks to establish Happiness as the Highest Human Good. For Aristotle, it seems obvious, as even when choosing honor, pleasure, or intellect, we choose them not only for themselves, but also for the Happiness that is derived from them. As an End, Happiness becomes more than a pleasure-state, but a complete notion of fulfillment, and the Good to which all humans strive.

For Aristotle the Chief Good of any being is in the exercise of their purpose. For Aristotle, it seems that life cannot be the work of man, as any number of plants possess simple life; nor can sensation be his calling, as all manner of animal possess sensation. Rather, says Aristotle, we must look to reason as the foundation of Man's work, as Man possesses reason where others do not. And, he continues, as work may be of a good or bad nature, it can be assumed that, "the Good of Man comes to be 'a working of the Soul (reason) in the way...

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...and caused worry and trouble to his psyche.

Aristotle would have never even have thought of the troubles plaguing Jefferson, and it seems his ultimate trouble lay at the unfortunate time of his birth. Far enough into Enlightenment to know slavery was wrong, but not far enough along to see the actuation of his dreams, Jefferson was caught. Aristotle would have probably had pity on the man, but he would have thought him incapable of Happiness nonetheless. Jefferson was caught between too many worlds to find the mean effectively, bound by too many traditions and expectations to live as he wished. Jefferson is condemned by an Aristotelian view, but is saved by his position in American history; which might, strangely, be a sort of vindication in Aristotle's eyes.

Bibliography:

Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle, trans. D.P. Chase, Dover Publications, 1998.