Eudaimonia and flourishing

Abstract

The concept of eudaimonia originates in Aristotelian philosophy, which posits that people must live up to their fullest potential to promote a sense of flourishing. In recent decades, psychological scientists have sought to operationalize and empirically investigate the causes and consequences of eudaimonia. To date, many psychological definitions and measures of eudaimonia exist. Most commonly, eudaimonia (i.e., living in accordance with one's potentials and upholding virtue) is evaluated in contrast to hedonia (i.e., the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain); however, the distinction between eudaimonia and hedonia is hotly debated. Nevertheless, evidence indicates that eudaimonia is associated with better mental and physical health, suggesting that eudaimonia is an important component of living a happy and healthy life.