I think that Aristotle and Plato both have very good points. Therefore my beliefs fall under combining the two. For example lets talk about practical and theological wisdom. During the symposium we had to argue against one or the other. This was a totally different and new experience for me. Having to defend something I didn't necessarily agree with isn't the easiest thing in the world. I feel like we need both practical and theological wisdom in our lives. They kind of go hand in hand. With one it can help or push the other to take action or take place.
I do have a question about something that got brought up in class. The topic of can the poor be happy. To an extent yes I do believe they can, but do you think that they lie to themselves so they can be happy. Like when you tell yourself everything is okay when it's not ? Can you tell a noble lie to yourself and eventually just accept it as the truth ? Would it even be considered a noble lie ? Yes those who have less tend to be more grateful towards things and they find happiness in the smallest things. I do think they can be happy. But in all honesty I feel like true and complete happiness can never be obtained. It is something that we can aim towards our whole life but never fully reach. As humans we will never be satisfied with what we are given. It is just in our nature to always want more. So I think happiness, complete full happiness, is an impossible goal.
It is kind of hard to choose who I would most agree with. Doing the symposium really did help me learn and understand how the thought a lot better than I ever thought I could. Putting myself in their shoes enlightened me. I look forward fo the next one we will have as a class
Tori Keiran
I agree with you Tori, because I do believe that as human beings we will never reach a full potential of happiness. As you said is something that we all have and that is called ambition. Is that strange feeling that drives us to want more and more without a limit, until we are unhappy. Overall, I think you made some good points great job.
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ReplyDeleteI believe you make a good point when stating that happiness can never truly be achieved because it is true that we, as humans, always want more. I respectfully disagree with you on that though because I believe that there are many people who do not need material things to be happy and are altogether selfless. They can find their happiness through helping others or seeing others happy. They will often not put themselves first, and seeing others become happy or reach understanding will in turn make them happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Plato and Aristotle as well. It wasn't until I acted as both of them that I saw the veracity in their perspectives. Those are good questions too and I agree with them.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Aristotle makes some really good points to what constitutes complete "eudaimonia" , I personally think happiness is completely relative to the individual. Such as how some people like strawberries and some don't, without really knowing why other than personal preference, happiness is different to everyone. I know I am oversimplifying a complex state of being, but people hold different values and morals that would make it completely impossible to constitute what happiness is.
ReplyDeleteIf a person finds happiness in a selfish luxurious lifestyle, as wrong as it may be to others, there can never be a "fulfillment" in their life if they choose to follow a virtuous path that they attribute little importance to.