Socrates, Plato, and Aristotels View on Happiness

What Is Happiness What is happiness, and how can one achieve true happiness? This is the ultimate question of life and what every person is seeking an answer to. Many feel that they have found their answer in belonging to the faith of their choice, but what is it that their faith teaches them that brings them happiness? The Philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all have a similar view on what happiness is and how to achieve it. Aristotles view is based on Platos and Platos is based on Socrates teachings; this is why they are similar but they are all important and different with each philosophers personal views and beliefs. Socrates was a great man who was assassinated for his beliefs on the purpose of life and how to live†¦show more content†¦The first virtue is Temperance, where a person has the ability to control their own self. Self control and moderation lead to greater goods in life. Second virtue is Courage or the ability to will yourself to live and fully succeed as your part in s ociety. Wisdom is the third virtue which is held by the ruler. Wisdom is only found in communities that are ruled by kings that have seen the good or the Philosopher Kings. These three virtues lead to the fourth and final Cardinal Virtue, Justice. Justice is the excellence of function for the whole. When the community or society as a whole is functioning well and each individual is functioning in their place all of the individuals are happy. In the effect Plato believes that every person has their place and function in life and society and that if they perform their part well they will be happy. Also every individual has the choice to be happy. The choice to function well or inappropriately is the choice one must make to be happiest. Obviously inappropriate actions lead to unhappiness. In addition a well functioning society along with the well functioning individuals in it must follow the Four Cardinal Virtues. After all of these means have been met, then society and every person will experience true happiness. Naturalism is the belief that reality is the natural world. This belief and way of thinking was brought about by Aristotle; one of Platos pupils. In order to explain the four