Eudaimonia
The flourishing life or the full life
The idea of a good life is something that has been pondered upon since a long time. Is it an objective reality or a subjective concept? What makes our life worth living among the billion others on the planet? Is life inherently good or it becomes so by constant struggle and conscious effort?
Aristotle was the pioneer among philosophers to talk about the good life which is also understood as “blessedness”. To him Eudaimonia was a universal principle which encompassed a wide range of qualities that he would call virtues.
The idea of a virtuous life was propagated not just by Aristotle but also by his teacher Plato, and Plato’s teacher Socrates. They all used to discuss and debate on the essentials of a good life. The ingredients that would make our menial existences meaningful. The popular opinion is that this is where “the pursuit of happiness” comes from.
But Eduamonia is not just mere pursuit of happiness in life, its something much more. Happiness is associated with things like pleasure which can be temporary. While Eudaimonia is a state that comes by working on yourself, by becoming better and excelling at whichever way you choose to adopt for a living. It emphasizes on morals and values to achieve fulfillment while the hedonistic pursuit of happiness is often short lived, selfish and somewhat immoral.
