PHI 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Summum Bonum, Eudaimonia, Final Good

• School: University at Buffalo
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHI 101
• Professor: Powell Lewis

Document Summary

Aristotle (384-322 bc) was the student of plato. He (cid:449)as so i(cid:373)po(cid:396)ta(cid:374)t that fo(cid:396) a (cid:449)hile, people just (cid:272)alled hi(cid:373) (cid:862)the philosophe(cid:396)(cid:863) Toda(cid:455)"s le(cid:272)tu(cid:396)e (cid:272)ould (cid:271)e (cid:272)alled: (cid:862)bette(cid:396) living through ancient greek philosophy. Aristotle say that there is a hierarchy among our goals: for instance, the art of making bridles for horses has its goal: bridles, but we care about bridles because we are about riding horses. So, the art of horseback riding is above bridle-making in the hierarchy. In general, if we pursue x for the sake of pursuing y, then y is above x in the hierarchy. In other words, is there something that is at the very top of the hierarchy: aristotle says yes. If (cid:449)e u(cid:374)de(cid:396)sta(cid:374)d the (cid:374)atu(cid:396)e of ou(cid:396) ulti(cid:373)ate goals, (cid:449)e"ll (cid:271)e (cid:271)ette(cid:396) at pu(cid:396)sui(cid:374)g the(cid:373) But the(cid:396)e is a disag(cid:396)ee(cid:373)e(cid:374)t o(cid:374) (cid:449)hat happi(cid:374)ess t(cid:396)ul(cid:455) is. Aristotle argues against pleasure, wealth or honor as constituting happiness.