A Eudaimonia como a Sublime Expressão da Racionalidade: Um Estudo Sobre a Felicidade em Aristóteles

Abstract

Philosophy is a field of study that is nourished by questions. Among them is "what for?", which refers to the purpose of something, the purpose of an action. Aristotle made great use of this question to build his philosophical edifice. So that, for him, everything there is follows an end, a good, including human actions. In this respect, the Stagirite states that eudaimonia, a term commonly translated as happiness, is the supreme good of human existence. In his Nicomachean Ethics, he defines eudaimonia as the activity of the faculties of the soul in accordance with human virtues, these being the excellent disposition to manifest rationality, the principle that distinguishes man from other beings. According to Aristotle, there are two types of virtues: moral and intellectual. The moral virtues represent the rational containment of the various impulses coming from the irrational soul with a view to mediation. The intellectual virtues, on the other hand, relate directly to the rational soul. While the moral virtues and the intellectual virtue of prudence show themselves in the practical sphere through moral acts, the intellectual virtue of wisdom shows itself in the theoretical sphere through contemplative activity. When reading the Ethics, the question arises as to whether eudaimonia is achieved only in the exercise of wisdom, which is considered superior to the others, or in the realization of all the virtues. We have opted for the second alternative and justify it on the grounds that the very performance of contemplative activity requires a context in which moral acts are already expressed. In this way, by implementing the dispositions governed by the dictates of reason, the individual will be able to achieve eudaimonia, which is the sublime expression of rationality.