A Philosophers Guide to Find Happiness in 2021
Ancient Greek philosophers spent much of their time debating what the purpose was for human life. Unfortunately, they did not solve it because we are still arguing this today. But, they understood that happiness was an essential part of our reason to live.
The term Eudaimonia is Greek and played a central part in Aristotle’s philosophy. In English it means “human flourishing” or “living well” and it drives how and why we do things. For Aristotle, this was the only good that was desirable for its own sake.
By this, Aristotle means that every other good we experience is to lead us to something else. Whether that be friendship, love or money, it all leads us onto a greater good we seek. But, happiness/eudaimonia is not like these goods. Instead, happiness is the end of all those goods and should be pursued as a final destination.
It is all well and good telling us that happiness is our end. However, how we navigate ourselves there is the question. We see this idea of happiness as our end goal in many different streams of thought. Mainstream religions are drivers of this idea. As we see it depicted in Heaven and Hell or Enlightenment.
With many philosophical and religious ideas seen as outdated approaches to happiness. I thought it would be good to look at how Aristotle would apply his method to obtaining Eudaimonia in 2021.
Almost everyone would agree that Aristotle was on to something by saying happiness is an end to our means. The difficult bit is coming up with practical activities for people to take part in to achieve it. And Aristotle suggested three things:
- A life of pleasure
- A life of political activity
- A philosophical life
So, let us find out how we can get happiness using Aristotelian ethics in 2021.
A Life of Pleasure
For Aristotle, our pleasure was neither a good or bad thing. It might seem odd because we often associate pleasure with enjoyment. But, Aristotle understood that pleasure comes from many different activities for different humans.
Take a serial killer, for example. They may receive pleasure from hearing their victims scream under pain. But the action of killing someone is not good at all.
The same goes for giving to charity. The giver may feel pleasure from helping someone less fortunate than them. Both people have a pleasurable experience. et their actions are opposites on the ethical scale.
We quickly learn that pleasure is not something that should be separate from its activity. Money can please us. But if there is nothing to do with it, there would be no need for it. And Aristotle sees pleasure in this way. It can be helpful, but only when accompanied by good actions.
Therefore, pleasure is an accompanying thing to our happiness and not the goal of it. Likes on Instagram or 1000 views on your story are all pleasurable things. However, for our flourishing, they are only but a small segment of it.
Pleasure incentivises good activity, but it should not be the end goal. It only lasts for a moment, and then we are back to reality. So, in 2021 try re-evaluating your daily activities for happiness. Are they for your well-being or a feeling of pleasure at the end?
By knowing the difference, you can then live a life of pleasure. Rather than taking the approach of seeking it continuously. It will become something that occurs alongside your daily activities, which leads to a life of it.
A Life of Political Activity
I am someone who tends to stay away from mainstream politics. It hurts my head, and they never seem to answer the tough questions. However, it is a necessary part of society because it decides how things get distributed.
Aristotle believed that it is an aspect of our happiness to be involved in human affairs. Questions like, “What is fair pay?” or “How should wealth be distributed?” are important questions that affect our every day lives. Those involved in making these decisions have a direct impact on the way we live.
We may be disinterested in reading up on politics or having debates on these topics. But one thing is certain, not having an opinion could potentially leave us in a dangerous place. Over the past year, we have seen an uproar of political activity.
COVID-19, George Floyd and Megan Markle have all been a point of tension in politics. And even though you may not be vocal about your opinion, I am sure you have formed some on these sensitive topics. However, if you are like me, you want to keep those opinions to yourself and not be active. So how do we do that in 2021?
Well, the world of politics for Aristotle was very different to what we have today. And I would argue that a new approach to a life of politics would have to be made. It would no longer be forming theories and writing books on the subject.
So, considering politics is the philosophy of human affairs. We should be involved in answering some of these challenging questions. Today, we have so many ways we can share news and comment on wrong things.
Society still has many holes and cracks in it, and staying silent does not mend anything. We are seeing more people voice their opinions in this political climate. For example, I have never seen so many protests occur in a year. And people are using social media to point out injustices due to the governing of our countries.
When we feel as though we have contributed something to the management of society, we value ourselves more. A life of politics in 2021 may not mean running for the next Mayor or President. But it could mean having an active hand in contributing to the way society is.
It could be as simple as supporting a cause that embodies your views on making society better. Or being bold enough to vocalise your views on some human affairs.
So, if you are not already, consider taking human affairs seriously. Having and sharing our opinions on these matters do help us feel like we are contributing to a solution. And in doing so, we feel part of humanity and experience happiness for being valued.
A Philosophical Life
Philosophy comes from the Greek word “Philosophia”, which means “love of wisdom”. So, by the very definition of the word, we can all begin taking practical steps to live for the love of wisdom. That would mean that both our thoughts and actions must be driven by wisdom.
Wisdom is knowledge applied. And we have become less inclined to absorb knowledge, far less to apply it. With our attention spans shrinking year on year, we want answers fast. So that we can move on to the next thing quickly.
Part of this shrink in attention span is coming from the fast-moving world. It is now the norm to scan over things and rush through life because we have to stay alert for the next thing. And 2021 is no different. We are all still moving fast today, with no intent to slow down anytime soon.
Living a philosophical life means appreciating the knowledge you have around you. The first step to doing this is taking time out of your day to be curious. Curiosity allows you to be open-minded about the world. It encourages you to discover things you did not know.
The second step would then be to gain knowledge on your new founded discovery. And finally, to apply the knowledge in your life. If Aristotle was here today, I am sure he would take time out every day to learn something new.
The ability to learn new things and then apply them to our lives gives us a deeper understanding of our world. And this leads us to happiness because it broadens our knowledge of the things around us.
When we are a child, we can look up and see the stars and appreciate them for what they are. But as we get older, we learn that the stars are more than just lights in the sky. They are complex balls of gas, light years away from us, with each of them having its own formation story.
We gain a greater appreciation for the stars as our knowledge grows on what they are. So, to live a life of philosophy, try your best to learn something new every day and apply the knowledge you gain. And with things like the internet, you can do that.
Recap
Live a Life of Pleasure
Stop seeking moments of pleasure in your life. And instead seek good activity which brings about well-being. Remember, pleasure is not the end goal. Happiness is. So, learn to pursue great activities in life, and pleasure will follow.
Live an Active Political Life
Do not remain silent on human affairs. It is our duty as humans to look out for humanity and add value to the world around us. So, try your best to be involved in trying to find a solution to social injustices.
Live a Philosophical Life
Take time to pursue knowledge and apply it to your life. Remember, philosophy is the love of wisdom. So, try to learn something new every day and let it change the way you live.
