Notes from Underground- January 24, 2025
A timely examination of Aristotle's definition of Happiness.
Greetings from Underground!
Let’s talk Happiness. I came across these lines in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
“The question may be determined also by a reference to our definition of Happiness, that it is a working of the soul in the way of excellence or virtue of a certain kind: and of the other goods, some we must have to begin with, and those which are co-operative and useful are given by nature as instruments.
These considerations will harmonise also with what we said at the commencement: for we assumed the End of πολιτικὴ to be most excellent: now this bestows most care on making the members of the community of a certain character; good that is and apt to do what is honourable.
With good reason then neither ox nor horse nor any other brute animal do we call happy, for none of them can partake in such working: and for this same reason a child is not happy either, because by reason of his tender age he cannot yet perform such actions: if the term is applied, it is by way of anticipation.
For to constitute Happiness, there must be, as we have said, complete virtue and a complete life: for many changes and chances of all kinds arise during a life, and he who is most prosperous may become involved in great misfortunes in his old age, as in the heroic poems the tale is told of Priam: but the man who has experienced such fortune and died in wretchedness, no man calls happy.”
I’m interested in what constitutes “a working of the soul in the way of excellence or virtue” in a world where so much work is automated, and so many people may soon find their work, their knowledge, and their skills less useful. Can we find virtuous personal or communitarian human work when the machines are otherwise running the show? What does that future look like? I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’ve read anything germane to this discussion, or have any ideas of your own, add them here. If you’d like to join us for lunch, get in touch!
Onward!
JKLC
This response may be a bit much to unpack but:
I think a working of the soul by way of excellence and/or virtue (I guess virtuous living requires excellence, no?) demands of us to think beyond the self and outwardly give of ourselves to others in ways that border or surf with altruistic actions. It’s well known that volunteerism brings happiness and that certainly requires a person of virtue.
When you touch on “so much being automated” and prompt us to consider what that will look like in regards to the topic at hand: I do feel that while, yes, a virtuous life has shown to bring about the state of happiness, I disagree (gasp!) with Aristotle’s prerequisites for the state of happiness as to have a complete life and not to be a child or horse for that matter. Who am I to challenge the great Aristotle, but, I mean had he never witnessed an animal or child be “good” to others, befriend other species, or show excellence in performance? I sure have. Many times. Maybe I miss his point I didn’t go to any Ivy League or prep school before that so I didn’t spend too much time dissecting Aristotle. But what does he mean really when he requires a “complete life” to consequent happiness anyway? An eleven year old could be virtuous and excell many times over and perhaps not have the requirements Aristotle may consider a complete life, though I am curious what those are. Also, I think he misses a large piece of the puzzle:
The deep well we can always rely on for contentment (as being sustained happiness) comes from the practice of being present. Here and now. In the “wilderness”, so to speak, of both our inner and outer worlds as it goes by, fleetingly. In other words, to be preoccupied with thought, to-dos, or whether others have “liked” one of our expressions in the virtual world for instance, how can one ever attain true happiness even if that person is virtuous? A person of virtue can also simultaneously be preoccupied with thought and that then can interfere with contentment. Happiness hold hands with contentment but happiness is more fleeting no? So I guess I feel that to be TRULY happy one must be content and to be content one must discover and maintain mindfulness. Presence. To be wild and free requires not a “complete life” but a life worth living: a present life. A life liberated from the confines of the premises that in order to be happy one cannot be a child, a horse. Quite the opposite, a child is the epitome of in-the-moment nowness.
Also in response to your prompt on what constitutes “a working of the soul in the way of excellence or virtue” in our modern world, the one word that screams out to me is “impeccable”- the pursuit of flawlessness in one’s actions, and is a form of striving for excellence. This concept was really driven home to me in the Teachings of Don Juan: a Yaqui Way of Knowledge in that impeccability is really mastered by a warrior. And a warrior walks a path not of happiness but of hardship, however attains power while they are at it. Power and happiness are not synonymous by any means is it? Warriors receive one fireball after another and never catch a break. I’m not saying catching a break is happiness either but I am definitely saying striving for excellence in the form of impeccability in one’s actions creates a state of being that holds the highest of expectations and expectations always tend to steer us away from happiness. But that to me leads us away from the fleeting concept of happiness and merges with the idea of contentment such that one must be content with the path they have chosen especially if that path is one of virtue and excellence yet that path requires a surrender of the state of being happy which leads to contentment. I think.
But I may be very bobbled up in my mind about all that or vastly off in my response to your prompt.
What does the future look like in terms of happiness or contentment? With the technology we have infiltrating our very precious moments to practice mindfulness and presence? Probably not much in way of happiness or contentment.
I recently de-activated (Instagram) the last social media platform I used to use after a year or more of being rid of the only other one I frequented (Facebook), and just last week deleted my email app from my iPhone so to force my time spent emailing on my lap top at a certain time and space of day. It all has freed me up to practice more of the art of Happiness.
Keep ‘em coming Jeremy!
In an effort to focus the discussion, you may want to offer some clear definitions of two terms: happiness and soul. Use Aristotle’s, or your own, or whatever, but otherwise we may be talking past each other if people are assuming their own definitions (or others) and may never get to the questions you frame at the end of your intro/prompt.