On Eudaimonia

What does it really mean to live a good life, and how do we define happiness? Ancient Greek philosophers had a word for this elusive concept of living well and flourishing - eudaimonia.

Eudaimonia According to Different Philosophers

• Aristotle defined eudaimonia as living in accordance with virtue and reaching our full potential. It involved cultivating virtues like wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. He saw it as the highest human good and the aim of practical philosophy, achievable through a life of virtue and contemplation.
• Plato saw eudaimonia as the highest aim of moral thought and behavior. He believed it was achieved through the cultivation of virtues and the pursuit of knowledge. He linked eudaimonia to the idea of justice, both in the individual soul and in society. According to Plato, eudaimonia came from the contemplation of the "forms" - perfect, abstract ideas that exist beyond our physical world.
• The Stoics viewed eudaimonia as living in agreement with nature and accepting what is outside our control with equanimity. They believed that true happiness comes from within and is not dependent on external circumstances.
• Epicurus defined it in terms of pleasure and the absence of pain (ataraxia), emphasizing simple pleasures and freedom from fear and anxiety. He thought that cultivating friendships and living modestly were key to achieving eudaimonia.

In essence, eudaimonia represents a richer, more holistic conception of happiness and well-being than simply feeling good or satisfying desires.

Eudaimonia vs. Happiness

When we talk about happiness in our everyday lives, we're usually referring to positive emotions, pleasure, or satisfaction. It's that warm, fuzzy feeling you get from eating your favorite meal or having a good time in the circle of friends and family. Happiness is subjective and influenced by individual immediate circumstances and external factors. Happiness, I think, is a very transient and occasional burst of serotonin, and chasing it as the ultimate goal can be unsustainable.

To me, eudaimonia is about transcending the pursuit of worldly pleasures and making happiness last by living in alignment with our values, fulfilling our potential, and spending our time doing what's truly worthwhile, in contrast to chasing shallow highs and physical pleasures. It is not about a quick fix or the end result, but the eternal path to it during which we grow as human beings.

Eudaimonia in Different Philosophical Doctrines

Eudaimonia isn't just a Greek thing. The idea of living a fulfilling, virtuous life appears in various philosophical traditions around the world.

Confucianism: Harmony and Virtue

In Confucian philosophy, the concept of "ren" (benevolence or humaneness) is pretty close to eudaimonia. It's all about cultivating virtue, fulfilling your social roles, and contributing to social harmony. Confucius would probably nod approvingly at the idea of eudaimonia but add, "Don't forget your responsibilities to others!"

Buddhism: Enlightenment as Ultimate Fulfillment

While Buddhism doesn't have a direct equivalent to eudaimonia, the concept of enlightenment (nirvana or escape from samsara - the cycle of rebirth) shares some similarities. It's about transcending suffering and achieving a state of ultimate wisdom and peace. A Buddhist perspective on eudaimonia might focus more on letting go of attachments rather than fulfilling potentials.

Existentialism: Creating Our Own Meaning

Existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre talked about authenticity and creating meaning in life. While they might not use the term eudaimonia, the idea of living authentically and taking responsibility for our choices somewhat resonates with the concept.

Is Eudaimonia Realistic? Challenges and Criticisms

The concept of eudaimonia faces a lot of criticism as being an unrealistic pursuit, especially in our modern, highly complex, and fast-paced world, where hundreds of things demand our attention at the same time, making us long for a quick escape and pleasure-seeking.

Let's look at some of these criticisms:

Too Idealistic - Some argue it sets an impossibly high standard - nobody can really live up to these ideals of virtue and self-realization all the time.

Surely that makes sense, and I agree with that, but I think we can look at eudaimonia as a motivator to do our best as often as possible, and pursue things that bring us an actual sense of fulfillment despite the amount of disciplined effort and mental discomfort they often require, as opposed to being in this passive state of temporary pleasure. In other words, the goal is not to achieve the state of perfection or do it 100% of the time, but to aspire for a more meaningful and lasting sense of joy, while also allowing yourself to enjoy simple pleasures in life to maintain balance and avoid burnout.

Defining Virtue - Who gets to decide what counts as virtuous living, and what if different people or cultures have conflicting ideas about virtue?

Yes, this may well be true, but I believe the key is to mold the concept of eudaimonia into what works for our individual case, and adapt it to our lifestyle, while not stripping it of its core guidelines.

The Happiness Trade-off - Another criticism is that sometimes, doing the right thing doesn't make us happy in the short term; even more so, it makes us feel miserable.

This argument to me is about struggle. Struggle is ubiquitous in our life, and whatever we do will lead to emotional or physical discomfort in one way or another, so it's all about identifying for ourselves what struggle we're willing to endure, and whether we have enough willpower to give up short-term pleasure in favor of long-term benefits.

Privilege and Opportunity - Lastly, not everyone has the same opportunities to pursue self-realization and virtue. Is eudaimonia only for the privileged few?

To me, this is an excuse. No matter how low we are or how tough our circumstances may be, we can still choose to perceive things differently, we can still decide to take even the smallest step toward improving our situation. Everyone faces problems, but wallowing in self-pity or blaming society won’t solve them. I firmly believe that if you truly want something, you’ll find a way to get it - no matter how far from your goal you have to start. Anything else, to me, is mental laziness. Anything else means you don't want it badly enough.

I know this might come across as lacking empathy, but I’d rather be honest than soften my opinion to seem more likable. The counterargument I often hear is that some people are victims of circumstances - physical or mental incapacity, abuse, or childhood trauma. But as long as we're mentally sound, I still believe the course of our lives is in our hands.

How Do We Experience Eudaimonia in Everyday Life?

After all this philosophical blabbering, you might be wondering: "Okay, but what should I actually do to live a good life?" Well, only you would know, but:

Know Thyself - I personally think understanding yourself in relation to the self, others, and the world as a whole is crucial to staying sane. I do it through self-reflections, which is basically journaling and analyzing my past experiences and interactions. There are other ways to go about it though, such as meditation, seeking feedback, or through your personal creative outlets.

Set Meaningful Goals - I think it's important to aim for objectives that align with our values, contribute to our personal growth, and hopefully cause some positive effect on other people. The opposite of that would be chasing something imposed on us by somebody else, or simply because it's viewed as "the right thing to do" by our society.

Cultivate Relationships - People are everything; they're our main resource, so investing in deep, purposeful connections with others can work wonders for our well-being.

Keep Learning - Never ever stop growing and developing your potential. A lifetime is most definitely not enough to wonder about all the interesting concepts and wisdoms this world and the minds that walked it before us have to offer. To me, learning is the source of long-lasting happiness.

Practice Gratitude - So often I'm amazed at how incredible life is, with all its twists and blessings (not related to religious context), that I just can't express my gratitude for and fascination with it enough. Now, some may say "your life is just easy" or "don't be so delusional," but the thing is, no one has it all easy or all figured out - it's all a matter of perspective. I just try to find something positive about everything that happens to me in life.

Wrapping Up

I just want to emphasize once again, the pursuit of eudaimonia isn't about reaching a perfect end state. It's about the journey. A deeply personal journey. What it looks like for you might be different from what it looks like for someone else. And that's okay. The important thing is to keep questioning, keep growing, and keep striving to live your best life - whatever that means for you. So, may we all find our path to the good life, one step at a time.