One area of study I have been fascinated in for years now, is that of the ancient Greeks. I love their literature, the ancient dramas, and the study of their laws, politics, and social structure. Although, the one area I found to be most intriguing is the study of philosophy. Ever since I was a young 11 year old and I stumbled upon the writings of Plato and his dialogues of his great teacher Socrates at a local library book sale, I was hooked. My love for the ancient Greeks was only deepened by the discovery of their deep appreciation for the study of wisdom.

I started to realize that even though Plato dealt rather heavily upon deep matters of a metaphysical nature, his student Aristotle was more interested in how these methods of thought might be applied to the every day life of a human. This will be my focus for today. The very deep and thought provoking work of Aristotle known as “The Nicomachean ethics”, named after the student for which it was written. One of the amazing claims of the book is that each of us wants to be happy. This seems a simple and possibly hedonistic thing to say; however, this sort of understanding would be to miss the meaning of “happiness” as understood by Aristotle. He writes, “….both the general run of men and people of superior refinement say that it is happiness, and identify living well and doing well with being happy; but with regard to what happiness is, they differ….” (The Ethics, Aristotle). He continues stating that when a man is sick, health is seen as happiness, and in poverty, wealth is; however these things in and of themselves are not that from which happiness is found.

Rather, Aristotle argues that happiness is not to be found in simple pleasures which arise and create in us an appetite for excess. For excess of indulgence may create a moment of pleasure; but pleasure is a fleeting emotion. At the time of indulgence the pleasure may be had; but once this moment ends, we often time must deal with the consequences of these actions. There is a time and place for such pleasures; but a life seeking merely pleasure is ultimately destructive and unfulfilling.

Happiness, and in turn the good life, is a life of balance and discipline. One must create in themselves virtues, and virtues are created through the repeated acts which then become habits which in turn become behavior. A fun night may be pleasurable; however it is not an act which instills in us virtues. Virtues are obtained through continued seeking for the truth, and an eternal quest of the attainment of such.