Found some interesting ideas that
Aristotle had. For one Aristotle believed in something called the Golden
Mean. Which meant that to have happiness a person had to stay between two
extremes. In other words moderation. I also have found out that to
Aristotle this happiness was the same word for excellence that the Greeks used.
Namely, Arete. Aristotle believed that since rationality distinguished man
from animals, that rationality must be the highest excellence or arete. We
all know where this line of thought has put us today. But I thought it was
interesting to note Aristotle's reasons for this way of thinking.
And another thing that I would like to point out
is that really the idea of this excellence or quality in the intellect being the
highest good might have orginated with Socrates. Socrates did say
"Virtue is knowledge." And the virtue to the Greeks was also the
same word that they used for excellence.
It is my opinion that the Greeks loved knowledge
so much that it polluted them from understanding the fundamental
relationship-that knowledge is good, but good only if kept in it's right
place.
Regards,
Jason Nelson
