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Learning Objective:

Learning Objective:. To understand the concept of Eudaimonia . To apply our understanding to textual analysis. Aristotle posited four causes for anything and everything. MATERIAL CAUSE – the matter from which the thing is made from. The wood of a chair.

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Learning Objective:

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  1. Learning Objective: To understand the concept of Eudaimonia. To apply our understanding to textual analysis.

  2. Aristotle posited four causes for anything and everything. MATERIAL CAUSE – the matter from which the thing is made from. The wood of a chair. EFFICIENT CAUSE – the agent that brings something about. The carpenter FORMAL CAUSE – the kind of thing that something is. The chair shape. FINAL CAUSE – the goal or purpose that a thing moves towards. To sit on

  3. The final purpose... • Achieving the final purpose for a thing is ‘GOOD’ for that thing. • Achieving the final purpose for a human is good for that human. • A human life that is geared towards achieving the final purpose is a good life. • A person who strives to achieve this goodness is a moral person.

  4. Eudamonia • Aristotle called the final purpose for a human Eudaimonia. • This is the greatest good for a human. • To achieve the best life you should aim your life towards this. All human life for Aristotle is purposeful. We aim our life towards things. Some of these things are not good for us. Eudaimonia as the ultimate good should be the aim for us all.

  5. Eudamonia • Eudaimonia roughly translated is happiness, however the concept is much more than that. • A better translation is ‘human flourishing’ – the state a human must be in to fully flourish as an individual. • The person who has achieved eudaimonia will act completely morally, by choice, and will also want to act morally. • They will choose the right actions but also want those same actions.

  6. eudamonia • Eudamonia is a state of action rather than inaction. • It cannot be dipped into – you must work hard in order to achieve it. • A person in eudamonia is fully content in their life and acts morally all the time because they want to act morally. It also involves reason. This is because reason is unique to humans and eudaimonia is the greatest human achievement. You must BE A THINKER in order to be eudaimon

  7. The final cause of humanity • This concept of eudaimonia is the final cause for humanity. • This is because it is the most fulfilling position to be in as a human as should be the final goal of all action. • If this concept can actually be achieved is a difficult measure. • It is unsure whether this is an ideal or an achievable goal.

  8. The final cause of humanity • Reaching the end goal of eudamonia takes more than just a personal effort. • A central quote to Aristotle’s moral philosophy is the quote from Nichomachean ethics.

  9. “Man is a political and social animal.” Aristotle

  10. The final cause of humanity • The greatest good for a person is for them to exist in the social and political realm. Humans are social animals and as such need to interact with other humans. • You have to be involved in social activities to be moral. You also have to interested in the good of the community. True happiness lies in the interactions you have with others.

  11. The centrality of eudamonia • This description of human nature is of particular importance for virtue ethics. • The concept of eudamonia and the end goal of humanity forms virtue ethics in to a life study. • The virtuous life is an ongoing project that you must work at all times. Its affect on the individual is complete and your life must be governed by it.

  12. The goal of humanity • The goal is to achieve eudamonia. • Eudamonia is pursued for its own merits rather than as an means to an end. • “Eudamonia is an end in itself.”

  13. The goal of humanity • We achieve eudamonia through practise and education. We are like Archers aiming for a target of goodness. • Like any good archer you first need instruction. • Then you need practise. • Our instruction comes from education and our parents. • We practice virtuous characteristics of life. • Aristotle believed that by practising virtuous personality traits, such as; Charity, Justice, we would eventually become like those characteristics. Topic of next lesson

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