TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of
contents
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Statement of the Problem
1.2
Purpose of Study
1.3
Methodology
1.4
Scope of Work
1.5
Division of Work
CHAPTER TWO
2.0
MEANING OF HAPPINESS
2.1 Ordinary Usage
2.2.0
Philosophers’ Views
2.2.1
Ancient Era
2.2.2
Medieval Era
2.2.3
Modern Era
2.2.4
Contemporary Era
CHAPTER THREE
3.0
ARISTOTLE AND AQUINAS ON HAPPINESS
3.1.0
Aristotle
3.1.1
What Happiness is
3.1.2
The End of Human Actions
3.1.3 Happiness as an Activity
3.1.4
What Happiness Consists in
3.1.5
Attainability of Happiness
3.2.0
Thomas Aquinas
3.2.1
What Happiness is
3.2.2
What Happiness Consists in
3.2.3
Attainability of Happiness
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0
COMPARISON OF ARISTOTLE AND AQUINAS
NOTIONS
OF HAPPINESS
4.1 What Happiness is
4.2
What Happiness Consists in
4.3
Attainment of Happiness
4.4
Requisites for Happiness
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0
CRITICAL EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1.0
Evaluation of the Notions of Aristotle and Aquinas
on
Happiness
5.1.1
Evaluation of Aristotle’s Notion
5.1.2
Evaluation of Aquinas’ Notion
5.2
Conclusion: Discovering Happiness
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
It is
indispensably in the nature of man to be happy.
This necessarily follows from his nature as a ‘homo rationis’ (reasoning animal).
By the virtue of his reason, man has the capacity to make a choice of an
action. His choice of action is
predominantly determined by some desired good, which serves as an end. As soon as this desired end is met, man’s
face brightens. He feels to some extent
fulfilled. But what actually is going on
in him? He is happy. But if the contrary
were the case, man becomes unhappy. This is simply because he has not realized
that end which prompted his choice of that action.
Consequently, the
concept of happiness can be said to be as old as man. It always lies irresistibly behind our choice
of actions. Even the actions that we
refrain from are undeniably motivated by this inexplicable but irrepressible
desire for happiness. This nature of man
was long discovered by Aristotle when in the beginning of his Nichomachean Ethics, he writes:
Every art and every inquiry,
and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for
this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that which all things aim
Unveiling
this nature in man, he identified happiness as, “the highest of all goods
achievable by action”2. This he said following his discovery that
every human action is a means to an end, which is seen as a good. He however noticed that some of these ends
are sought not as ends themselves but only as a means to further ends.
Having
identified happiness as the highest of all goods that can be achieved by human
action, he remarked immediately the existence of a unanimous acceptance of this
fact about happiness. But at the same
time, he commented that there is no general agreement on what happiness
is. This problem of general agreement on
what happiness is has remained a philosophical problem till date. This can be seen in the different actions
exhibited by human beings even till date. People steal, and even kill in order
to get that which they want so as to be happy. Also some people are known for
their habit of over-eating or over-drinking. Such persons, when asked, also
claim that they want to be happy. There are still some others who are involved
in embezzlement of funds, human trafficking, addictions of various kinds,
sexual abuses and perversions, prostitution, and other debasing actions. These
actions are motivated by the quest for happiness by those concerned.
Experience has shown that such persons have
never achieved a lasting happiness. The much they have always attained is only
the pleasure that lasts only a few moments, and leaves them with much more to be
desired because they are not yet satisfied. To such persons, the common saying
that, the joy of having increases by having, is always applicable. Hence, there
is the need to continue to ask such questions as: What actually is happiness? In what does it consist? By the way, is happiness attainable? If so, where, when, and how can one attain
it?
In the
thirteenth century, another philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, took up this question
of human happiness. He followed the
methods of Aristotle in his approach. However, he did not accept completely
Aristotle’s notion of happiness especially as it concerns ‘when’ and ‘where’
happiness can be attained. Like Aristotle, he understands happiness as the last
end to which all human actions tend. But unlike the former who believes that
happiness is attainable in this life, Aquinas believes that what is attainable
in this life is momentary happiness. He believes therefore that ultimate
happiness can only be attained in the vision of God, Beatifica Dei .We can then say that, in his efforts, he tried to
Christianize Aristotle’s ideas who himself was a pagan.
1.1 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Since man
cannot but desire happiness, it is observed that he performs various actions,
not excluding the non- pleasant and bad ones, just to be happy. Happiness therefore means various things to
various persons, even among philosophers.
Besieged by these varying and sometimes contradictory notions of
happiness, one has no other option than to ask: what does this happiness
mean? Secondly, in what does it
consist? That is to say, ‘when’ and
‘where’ can we find it, if at all it is realizable? This problem was identified by Aristotle when
he wrote:
… But with regard to what happiness is they differ,
and the many do not give the same account as the wise.
1.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY
As the modern
world continues to soar higher in technological advancements, it also records a
great clamour for freedom. The freedom
in question is not just from rules and regulations or laws, but also the
freedom to perform any action or activity.
These actions, according to Aristotle, are aimed at the attainment of
some good the highest of which is happiness.
Both Aristotle
and Aquinas wrote from different backgrounds, which, no doubt, influenced them.
While the former wrote from a pagan background, the latter wrote from a
Christian background. By juxtaposing
their notions of happiness therefore, the researcher aims at pointing out the
way to human happiness. He also wants to
examine, in the light of those philosophers, whether the actions of the modern
man such as: struggle for power and fame, merriment, alcoholism, drug and sex
abuses, quest for wealth, etc, are capable of giving man happiness. If they are not, then one would at least be
able to say at the end of this work what happiness is, and in what it consists.
1.3
METHODOLOGY
In order to
successfully and efficiently arrive at the desired end of this work, the
techniques employed are expository, analytical, critical, and evaluative.
1.4 THE
SCOPE OF WORK
Different
people in different ages and at different times have different views about what
it means to be happy. A lot of
philosophers have also written about happiness.
But for the sake of this work, I have restricted myself only to the
notions of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.
Nevertheless, a brief mention shall be made in the course of this work,
about the views of some philosophers on happiness.
1.4 DIVISION OF
WORK
This work is
systematically arranged into five chapters.
Chapter one is the introductory stage of this work. It contains the general
introduction, the statement of the problem, purpose of work, methodology used,
the scope covered, and the explanation of the contents of each of the chapters.
Chapter two
takes care of the views of some philosophers and those of the man on the street
about happiness. In it also is unveiled
the major influences on Aristotle and Aquinas. In chapter three, the notions of
Aristotle and Aquinas on happiness are ex-rayed, while chapter four outlines
the similarities and disparities between these notions, and necessarily
contrasts them. Finally, chapter five brings the whole work to a conclusive
end. But before the final conclusion, it
would evaluate critically the notions of Aristotle and Aquinas on happiness.
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