Eudaemonia--
Happiness, or the good life. This is Aristole's philosophy regarding the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness. 'A central principle of the good life is the golden mean, or moderation; overindulgence hinders the attainment of the good life.' According to this philosophy, it is possible to overindulge (or have our life become dilluted) in our passions-- working, skiing, TV-watching etc. The execptions Aristole said are the following: gaining wisdom and understanding ('limitless goods' as he called them). The crowning virtue of the good life is leisure-- but not refering to napping or idleness. Ethical leisure is spent in activities by which human beings learn intellectual virtues.
And the good life it is. Yesterday I rode my bike to grandma and grandpa's. It was so wonderful to be with someone who wasn't 20something. Kids, old people and ethinicity are so rare in my little sphere of contact, that the momentary change was welcomed. They gave me a 20pound bag of wheat and I spent the evening grinding some of it. Then I finished making hummus. This morning I have been reaping the rewards of well-spent leisure time-- eating blueberries&cracked wheat for breakfast, and green pepper and hummus for lunch (well. . . my snack). NowI'm in the library struggling to gain wisdom and understanding. The life truly is good.
And the good life it is. Yesterday I rode my bike to grandma and grandpa's. It was so wonderful to be with someone who wasn't 20something. Kids, old people and ethinicity are so rare in my little sphere of contact, that the momentary change was welcomed. They gave me a 20pound bag of wheat and I spent the evening grinding some of it. Then I finished making hummus. This morning I have been reaping the rewards of well-spent leisure time-- eating blueberries&cracked wheat for breakfast, and green pepper and hummus for lunch (well. . . my snack). NowI'm in the library struggling to gain wisdom and understanding. The life truly is good.
posted by Angela at 11:34 AM
7 Comments:
angela. you are so...wise! hahah i really like this post though. it makes me want to go and learn somthing. see you this weekend!!!
thanks for that cool insight. i love aristotle and socrates. weird to think that they came up with this stuff 400 b.c. and yet over 2K years later lots of people still don't even get it.
MOre on the meaning of Eudaemonia:
What Wikipedia says
Another limitless good is service -- perhaps the supreme one because, unlike the pursuit of wisdom and intellectual attainment, service by nature is unselfish and good. The pursuit of knowledge can become a type of indulgence if it is not tempered by service. "They applied their hearts to understanding -- therefore, they are wise." (or something like that from somewhere in the Book of Mormon, I think Mosiah) Wisdom is applied knowledge so it encompasses service, but pursuit of intellectualism without the heart, or without charity and service, is a shallow, diluted life.
Sarah
Hay so do you still think I am kind of tubby ha ha , hay thanks for coming out it was great to meat you I hope all is going good for you , are you going to school, working ? What do you do I don’t think I even asked you that . And I hope your week end was some of the good life .
ANGELA....i think you need to update...i want to hear more than eudaemonia every day...post already!
I think it's great that, even during college life, you search out the wisom of the elderly, the innocence/humility/pure goodness of children and diversity of people when so many of us become one-sided. You're great.
-Cath
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