Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics

Aristotle's View on Happiness and Virtue

Aristotle illustrates the importance of happiness to humanity and how to acquire it in his work, Nicomachean Ethics. To achieve happiness, the philosopher believes that one must live in accordance with one's human nature, which includes both intellectual and practical activity. Because humans may engage in both theoretical and practical activities, the right application of these two elements can result in satisfaction. Aristotle goes on to say that in order for humans to achieve their optimum level of enjoyment, they must operate in the midst of vices, between excess and lack. These "in between" traits he referred to are the virtues. An example is the courage which lies between cowardice and foolhardiness. In the modern world of today, the reality is that the first level is common and the third is rare. This remains plainly because the true nature of mankind is not prone towards the good. It leans heavily towards the deceitful, self-righteous, self-attaining and simply selfish. Mankind has evolved on the bases of survival of the fittest. This may have been a challenge between every species but in the world of today it resorts among humans themselves. The fact being that we as a people are used to surviving and striving towards what is best for us. We look at the world from an outside point of view, seeing only that which will grant us enough to achieve what will satisfy us.

Human Desire for Satisfaction and Virtue

Humans are completely desperate for satisfaction and that usually come only from giving into the Id. Freud narrowed it down to three basic concepts: Id, ego and superego. It is the nature of humankind to retain only what the Id wants. We see what we like and we go after it. The common reality is that virtue and goodness do not exist in the basics of life. to achieve the third level of friendship one must attain the presence of purity of soul and a general good will for his fellow man. However, the cold reality is that one’s priority is oneself. Hence in a perfect world, we could be able to attain what Aristotle dreamt for us (Sherman, 1987).

The Difficulty of Finding True Friendship

Unfortunately, the world is not a portrait of perfection and only the first two levels of friendship are common. To attain the final level of friendship one must find the virtues of honesty and purity in another. But more than that one must find these traits in oneself. To achieve this level of friendship, one must acknowledge that first and foremost these qualities should be found in oneself. A friend is the true reflection of who we are as person. A man keeps the company he feels most comfortable in and that zone of comfort is achieved only when a person is closest to one’s soul. Our friends are the mirror for the desires we hold and the goals we want in life.

The Rarity of Virtue and the Nature of Friendships

However, honesty is the rarest virtue of mankind in the modern world of today. Hence if it is looked for in other people, it should be found in your own soul. But if the soul does not possess these aspects, how can they be expected in the friends we keep? The answer to this question is eternally that a virtuous soul is not found easily. The first level of friendship is most commonly found these days. Man, driven by his nature only seeks out that which is beneficial for him hence alliances these days are only made on those bases. They are supported by the pillars of selfishness and paved with the bricks of self-love. However, when these are taken out of the equation, the structure immediately falls leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. This destruction is the bane of mankind’s existence. We live only to serve ourselves and thus make friendships which only serve this purpose.

Mankind's Flaws and the Reality of Friendship

In conclusion, we can add that as mere mortals we are essentially flawed. These flaws are exactly what make us human and it is also because of these that we cannot attain the highest level of friendship. Aristotle had a dreamer’s view of an idealistic world which defined man as the reflection bound in the mirror of the gods. However, man is nothing but a vain statue of imperfection brought to life by the essence of a moralistic soul. On the other hand, the reality of today is that man does not bind his relationships with the thread of love, warmth and expectation. He sees only what pleasures his soul and body.

The Human Id and the Balance of Good and Evil

Thus, his friendships are also a version of his desires. The human Id is the most dangerous thing on the face of this Earth. The urge to fulfill one’s desires drives man to do what is honest and yet also do what is extremely deceitful. It is not in the nature of man to be all good or all evil. We are essentially, as a species a combination of both light and dark. No man is all good just as no man is all evil. There are those whose darkness weighs out the light in them. But there are also those, whose purity weighs out the impurities of the human soul. Thus, one can boldly state that life has a lot to offer but, of all these fruits one cannot attain the highest level of friendship.

References

Pangle, L. S. (2002). Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship. Cambridge University Press.

Sherman, N. (1987). Aristotle on friendship and the shared life. Philosophy and

Phenomenological Research, 47(4), 589-613.