The Eudaimon Life Simplified

What is Eudaimonia?

Eudaimonia is a term that originates in Greek philosophy. It is generally translated into English to mean “happiness” or “flourishing” or even “well-being.” However, Eudaimonia is not just one of these conditions — it has facets of all of these conditions but is not a singular condition.

In Aristotelian ethics, eudaimonia is defined as the condition of human flourishing or harmony.

The most straightforward translation of Eudaimonia in English tends to be “happiness.” However, reducing Eudaimonia to mere happiness is a massive simplification. We know that neither Aristotle, Plato, nor the Stoic philosophers thought of Eudaimonia as a state of contentment or satiation or indeed of pleasure.

For Aristotle, eudaimonia constitutes the highest human good, a condition that is desirable as an end in itself.

Plato defines Eudaimonia as the ability to live well, live with virtue, and suffice with the available resources.

Socrates’ definition of Eudaimonia perhaps points us in the right direction. He used Eudaimonia to mean wisdom and virtue.

Let’s unpack these definitions a bit. Eudaimonia can be explained as — beginning with the ability to understand the essence of a task at hand, its potential impact, the resources needed to do it well, and possessing the necessary skill to do the task well. So, if you are a gardener, you can’t be a good gardener unless you understand the different tasks the gardener needs to perform, have the skills and commitment to do those jobs, and understand what the garden should look like when the job is completed successfully.

A Eudaimon life is a life of virtue; it is mindful and benevolent and spent in the pursuit of human excellence. Or, think of a Eudaimon life as a life where one strives virtuously to live at the acme of Maslow’s need hierarchy — the level of self-actualization.

This post was created with Typeshare