A Philosophical Analysis of "Goodness"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the question of what constitutes a good life from a philosophical point of view. It relates the question to moral issues and happiness and explores where the two are in conflict. It opens with an exploration of the views held by Aristotle that individuals are responsible for their own moral disposition and the moral choices they make. Next it focuses on Plato. Central to Plato's thought on this topic is the power of reason and he takes a rationalist approach. Finally, the paper looks at the perspective of Socrates who centers much of his approach in justice. The writer concludes by arguing that Plato and Aristotle agree that everything in the world is striving towards the good.

From the Paper:

"Happiness can be identified not as an element in living the good life but as the act of living the good life. Aristotle indicates this with reference to the issue of wisdom, and wisdom form Aristotle means knowing the good life and how to achieve it. Aristotle presented in his works a compendium of the knowledge of his time and examined issues and facts to discover how things worked, what was believed about them, and also to separate this knowledge into categories. He did not do this simply as a compiler but filtered what he found through his own sensibilities and philosophical thought. For each art, says Aristotle, there is an end to which the art tends, and the variety of smaller goals along the way are the means to achieve this end. The knowledge of the goal, the chief good, serves as a guide so that we direct our energies toward and achieve the goal. Aristotle argues that not all ends are final ends, and some are the means to other ends."

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