In Greek philosophy, Eudaimonia means to achieve the best possible conditions for a human being, in all your senses and not just happiness but also virtue, morality and a life significant.
Aristotle argued that Eudaimonia was possible with hard work, cultivating one's virtues and excelling in whatever tasks nature and circumstances bring to the individual.
However, he also wrote that living in the right place and balancing your activities wisely are essential to achieving Eudaimonia as well.
Example of eudaimonia
For you to clearly understand what eudaimonia is, here are some practical examples:
- If you are a parent, you should excel at raising your children;
- If you are a doctor, you must excel at healing people;
- If you are a philosopher, you should stand out for acquiring knowledge, wisdom and teaching.
Of course, each person plays many roles in life, and it is by excelling in all of them that Eudaimonia is achieved.
To achieve true Eudaimonia, one must focus on being a moral person, controlling emotions and exercising reason. Because, argued Aristotle, these are the most advanced and uniquely human abilities.
So instead of happiness, Eudaimonia could be translated as: fulfillment, living a good life, human prosperity and moral or spiritual success..
Happiness X Eudaimonia
As mentioned earlier, eudaimonia is often confused with "happiness". However, happiness is an emotion, while Eudaimonia is a much more comprehensive state of being.
Happiness is something a person can create or lose at any time, while Eudaimonia takes a long time to build and has staying power.
Happiness, for some people, can be obtained through simple pleasures such as eating, or by immoral means such as stealing. While Eudaimonia includes being a good person and does not come from pleasure, although the tendency is to lead to pleasure.
Below is a comparative chart that summarizes the essential differences between happiness and eudaimonia.
| HAPPINESS | EUDAIMONIA |
|---|---|
| Emotion | state of being |
| Temporary | In progress |
| measured by pleasure | measured by excellence |
| Can be achieved by immoral means | It can only be achieved by living a moral life. |
| It's connected to the idea of luck | is connected with effort |
See also the meaning of:
- Philosophy;
- ancient philosophy.