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Module 2 Reflection

This document discusses Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia, or human flourishing. It explains that according to Aristotle, our purpose in life is not defined by our birth but what we are born to do. Eudaimonia refers to living a life of virtue and reason. While happiness and a well-lived life are not identical, living well requires developing virtues. The author reflects on finding their own purpose through helping others and developing their gifts. Aristotle believed pursuing our purpose through living well requires developing intellectual and moral virtues for a good life.

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Gabby Operario
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219 views

Module 2 Reflection

This document discusses Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia, or human flourishing. It explains that according to Aristotle, our purpose in life is not defined by our birth but what we are born to do. Eudaimonia refers to living a life of virtue and reason. While happiness and a well-lived life are not identical, living well requires developing virtues. The author reflects on finding their own purpose through helping others and developing their gifts. Aristotle believed pursuing our purpose through living well requires developing intellectual and moral virtues for a good life.

Uploaded by

Gabby Operario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Eudaimonia: Living Aristotle’s Concept, with life’s Greatest Purpose

At the core, I’ve been with a lot of interesting topics in this lesson from the lecture videos, further readings and powerpoint
presentations, with this, what strikes me the most is the sense of “Eudaimonia” as explained and greatly portrayed by Aristotle
within this module. As he stressed, “the nature of a human being is not what he is born as, but what he is born for” a quote which
directly hits the point on what would be our end goal as we navigate our real purpose in this life. Aristotle defined this ten-letter
word which can be translated as “human flourishing”. As what I’ve understand, this refers to the type of life that one thinks best,
most worthwhile or most desirable in accordance with telos (end purpose) of humanity to be rational and ergon (function) of
reason in practice of virtue. Most of the time, Eudaimonia and happiness cannot explain each other well, in fact, they are different
as the former is objective while the latter is subjective. Let’s put this into context, some will doubt that a happy life is identical to
the well-lived life, of course, because regardless what well-lived life is, we can always understand that happy people might living
badly, or in short, unhappy people living well.

In addition to this, as I acquainted it with my own experiences, I once was lost on what could be my purpose in life, I tend to
overdo things in academics, to always be at the top and do things more than what is required leading to unhealthy habits, anxiety
and depression. But as I tried to practice what I am passionate about, think for the common good and as I lived with the essence of
my life’s greatest virtue and instilling my God-given gifts, I am finally found. It is forever a lifelong process, indeed during my
youthful years, I’ve learned that my heart’s greatest desire is the fact that my real fulfilment comes from helping others, being the
real me, extending help to other people by being a Red Cross volunteer, an eco-warrior and a youth leader in research and
religious forums, all of these strengthen my community involvement and awareness. Hopefully my love in helping and saving
people’s lives continue as I flourish my purpose. I bet, just like how butterflies goes through four stages of living, moving from
egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, and finally to butterfly. Through all of these, the butterfly remains full of life and grace as she fly
passionately on where she’s destined to be, and so am I, soon I’ll fly, wherever I deem worthy of flying.

As Aristotle emphasizes, pursuing our purpose and living well, are not momentary pleasures but it’s about enduring contentment
—not just a good day but a good life. One can be the most Eudaimon individual if he has fully develop and regularly exercise the
various virtues of the soul, both intellectual and moral. At its depths, the end goal of human life is to live well, a life that is good
for all mankind. We do this by accumulating, over the course of our lives, all the real goods that correspond to our natural needs;
and we increase our chances of having good lives by cultivating good habits, through focusing on the good and overcoming
challenges. A man's life has a purpose and that the function of one's life is to attain that purpose. At the end, let’ be reminded, that
the two most important days in our lives are the day we are born and the day we figure out why.

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