Aristotle’s understanding of human flourishing and success

Aristotle (384-322 BC) addressed human flourishing in his work, “Nicomachean Ethics.” John Vespasian explains that the key idea of “Nicomachean Ethics” is that the goal of human life should be happiness (in Greek “eudaimonia).” For Aristotle, happiness means “leading the good life” or “flourishing.” It means that the concerned person has attained steady, overall well-being, not just a fleeting pleasure. According to “Nicomachean Ethics,” eudaimonia requires cultivating intellectual and moral virtues day after day. What did Aristotle mean by “intellectual virtues”? He meant wisdom and understanding developed through education and reflection. On the other hand, moral virtues such as courage, generosity and justice are acquired through regular practice. In order to flourish, you should embrace virtue and calibrate your behaviour. Aristotle defined virtues as the “golden mean” between too extremes. For example, the virtue of courage is a mid-point between the vices of recklessness and cowardice. It takes care and determination to find the virtuous middle point. If you strike the right balance, said Aristotle, you will enjoy a virtuous and flourishing life. Happiness will be yours because it is a direct consequence of virtue. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/aristotles-understanding-of-human-flourishing-and-success/