Abstract
Aristotle describes happiness as man’s chief final good, and as an end in itself. Happiness is the living out of a virtuous life, which he takes to mean habituating our actions and behavior in accord with our ergon, or whatever our characteristic activity is.
Aristotle believes that rationality is a key component humans possess that allows them to perfect their characteristic activity necessary for achieving virtue. Aristotle believed that happiness in the sense of perfecting one’s ergon was the only thing that fit these criteria.
Achieving excellence in what our souls are meant to do is how humans achieve virtue and happiness. Happiness is not simply a subjective phenomenon to Aristotle because the rational element of our soul means that man is wired to pursue a life befitting his rational nature, and his ergon in turn.
While believing that some level of external goods is necessary for happiness (ex. not suffering from violence), Aristotle nevertheless saw the living out of a virtuous life through habit as the path towards happiness. This paper will dig briefly into how Aristotle and contemporary Aristotelian Alasdair MacIntyre have understood happiness in order to offer a unique perspective on these ancient questions.