Friday, September 12, 2014
What Makes Something Good?
Aristotle says this about the characteristics of good, that "the best good is apparently something complete." So, from this definition, we can conclude that a good act makes us feel complete. He later contends that happiness, which is what everyone desires, is absolutely complete and is the best good. What if the actions that make a person happy aren't universally considered good? An pyromaniac gets pleasure from lighting things on fire, A narcissist enjoys putting himself above all others. If these actions, which bring complete happiness to one individual, also bring pain and suffering to another, then there is no way they can be good. Aristotle defines happiness as a virtue as well. I believe that happiness by itself is not a virtue. While happiness might be good for one person, it does not fulfill the other requirements of a virtue. Anything that has the possibility to bring so much harm to another person can in no way be a virtue for everyone. We must make a distinction between the happiness of an intelligent and reasonable person and the happiness of an unreasonable person. The difference is vast. A person must be intelligent and reasonable for their happiness to be a virtue.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with your post for the most part. I think when it comes down to people like pyromaniacs and narcissist it gets a little tricky with trying to place them in a category. Because I feel like as "reasonable" people we can come to the conclusion that true happiness is not taking away someone else's or only caring about your own. I would just say to put people like that under a different category of neither happiness nor virtue.
ReplyDelete