Refining the Concept of Eudaimonia

Abstract

There have been different views about " happiness " since ancient Greek times. By combining subjectivism and objectivism, in his philosophical work Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle tried to tackle the science of happiness. His work led to the creation of Eudaimonia, which roughly translates to happiness. However, some of his principles inevitably resulted in controversy. This paper will analyze two philosophers' views on ultimate happiness and the difference between their views and Aristotelian claims. Richard Kraut and Laura Sizer are two prominent figures who have dedicated their lives to reviewing Aristotelian works. Richard Kraut criticized Aristotles doctrine for being overwhelmingly rigid and with a distorted objective, while Laura Sizer tried to reconcile both the objectivist and subjectivist ideals embedded into the concept of Eudaimonia using affect theory. Then, the paper will demonstrate my thoughts on these two authors' claims in Aristotles concept of eudaimon. Finally, the paper will conclude with my definition of eudaimonia."