Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is an expression of Aristotle's view of what happiness is. Aristotle's "happiness" relates to the Greek word "eudaimonia", which refers to flourishing and living well. Aristotle believes that eudaimonia is the highest end, or telos, in life. Aristotle uses the word telos when he refers to an end or goal. He also believes that we, as humans, automatically aim for happiness. Book I of Nicomachean Ethics starts with, "Every sort of expert knowledge and every inquiry, and similarly every action and undertaking, seems to seek some good." (337) This statement refers to the fact that everybody naturally seeks an appropriate way to satisfy their desires. By satisfying our desires we achieve happiness. I will argue that Aristotle is correct in believing that happiness is relative to each individual.
In Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle does not tell us to live happy, successful lives but tells us what a flourishing life should consist of. Aristotle points out that many people think happiness comes with pleasures, honors and wealth, but he does not believe this to be true. Those three things may make us happy temporarily but Aristotle says that happiness is not temporary or reactionary to the world. Plus, pleasures can only be determined by the person receiving them, so they cannot be used in the general definition of happiness. Honors, on the other hand, are determined by the person doing the honoring. Since each person has different views on what is honorable, being honored cannot constitute happiness. Finally, wealth is not happiness because it can be lost or wasted and happiness is not temporary.
Aristotle states that ...