Happy Lives and the Highest Good: An Essay on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

Imagine the ancient world where philosophy was not just abstract thought but a guide to living well. At the heart of this inquiry lies a profound insight: every action, every choice, every craft we undertake aims at some good. This is not a casual observation but a foundational principle. It tells us that human life is goal-directed, purposeful, and oriented toward something ultimate. Picture an archer drawing a bow, eyes fixed on a distant target. The arrow’s flight is not random but purposeful, every muscle and breath engaged in reaching that bullseye. Similarly, Aristotle invites us to see our lives as aiming at a target—the highest good, which he calls eudaimonia, often translated as happiness.

But what is this happiness? It is not a mere feeling of satisfaction or fleeting pleasure. Rather, it is the end for the sake of which we act; it is the reason behind our reasons. This conception of happiness as the ultimate end challenges us to think deeply about what makes life truly worthwhile. Is it wealth, honor, pleasure, or something else?

Aristotle’s text hints that happiness is a singular, unified good—a monistic end—rather than a collection of many disparate goods. This is crucial because if our lives are to be coherent and directed, they should aim at one ultimate goal, not a scattered set of aims. This insight sets the stage for exploring the nature of this highest good and how it governs the hierarchy of all other goods.

As we begin this journey together, keep in mind this image of directedness and finality. Our next step will be to explore what it means for an end to be truly final and how this finality shapes the pursuit of happiness.