1

ARISTOTLE AND BERTRAND RUSSELL’S TEACHINGS

ON HAPPINESS

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

A Research Paper
Submitted to:
Rev. Fr. Danielito C. Santos, PhD.
Immaculate Conception Major Seminary
Tabe, Guiguinto, Bulacan

In Partial Fulfilment of
The Requirements for the Subject
METHODS OF PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH

By:

CHRISTIAN D. MANALON

January 25, 2022

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Abstract .................. ............................I

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II

I. INTRODUCTION

Introduction .................. ........................ 1

II. ARISTOTLE’S AND BERTRAND RUSSEL CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS

A. Happiness Equals Good Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

B. Constituents of Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

HAPPINESS IN THE MIND OF BERTRAND RUSSELL . . . . . . . 6

C. Unfortunate Experience in Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

D. The Happy Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

III. SIMILARITIES AND DISSIMILARITIES OF ARISTOTLE AND BERTRAND

RUSSELL’S TEACHING ON HAPPINESS

A. General Approach on Examining Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

B. Aristotle’s End Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

C. Uniqueness of Russell’s Data on Unhappiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10

D. Similarities on Components of Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

E. Dissimilarities on Components of Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

IV. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Bibliography

Plagiarism
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ARISTOTLE AND BERTRAND RUSSELL’S TEACHINGS

ON HAPPINESS
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Sem. Christian Manalon

Abstract
First, his teachings can be easily understood because not many philosophical terms
were used in his teachings compared to Aristotle's. In terms of impact on Ethics, perhaps
Aristotle’s most significant concept is that of the teleology of nature. It can be easily
learned and applicable to one’s life without the need for much analysis and study. A very
substantial reason for Russell's teaching is that it is relevant and applicable to the issues of
the world today. Russell's contributions to logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of
mathematics established him as one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th century. This
was likely either edited by or dedicated to Aristotle’s son, Nicomachus. Aristotle’s idea of
what it means to live well is objectivist rather than subjectivist. This teleological view gives
Aristotle’s Ethics a clear sense of direction. In Aristotle’s teaching, such discussion is not
visible or cannot be found. These situations set the pattern of Russell’s philosophical
career. “Nicomachean Ethics is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a
human being.

Keywords: Eudaimonia, Happiness, Ultimate good, Life, Ethical, Teleologist, Telos

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I. Introduction

Every day people feel various forms of emotions; sadness, fear, disgust, anger,

relaxation, shyness, and most especially, happiness. Happiness has the greatest effect on

someone's life positively. But this is commonly overlooked by people nowadays may be

due to heavy workloads or could be just pure ignorance. It is a term that not so much

thought is given to although, at the same time, people want to have and to live a happy life.

The basic role of philosophy is to ask questions and think about the nature of human

thought and the universe. Thus, a discussion of the philosophy of happiness can be seen as

an examination of the very nature of happiness and what it means for the universe. The

goal of Ethics is to determine how best to achieve happiness. Philosophers have already

been pursuing the inquiry about happiness since ancient times up to the present. These

involve Aristotle, who is known to start the inquiry, and Bertrand Russell, who was a

philosopher in the Modern Period.

Aristotle is one of the greatest philosophic minds of the ancient Western world along

with Plato. His intellectual range was vast, covering most of the sciences and many of the

arts, including biology, botany, chemistry, ethics, history, logic, metaphysics, rhetoric, and

philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, physics, poetics, political theory, psychology,

and zoology. He was the founder of formal logic, devising for it a finished system that for

centuries was regarded as the sum of the discipline; and he pioneered the study of zoology,

both observational and theoretical, in which some of his work remained unsurpassed until

the 19th century. But he is, of course, most outstanding as a philosopher. His writings in

ethics and political theory as well as in metaphysics and the philosophy of science continue

to be studied, and his work remains a powerful current in contemporary philosophical

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debate.1 As the successor of Socrates and Plato, Aristotle was the last of the great Greek

philosophers. His work in Ethics is deeply informed by his work in the sciences and

metaphysics. In terms of impact on Ethics, perhaps Aristotle’s most significant concept is

that of the teleology of nature. According to Aristotle, nature works toward a telos, or end

goal. His biological work aims constantly at the question of what purpose different aspects

of plants and animals serve. He classifies humans as “rational animals,” meaning that the

human’s telos is rational. In other words, human’s function in life is to realize their full

potential as rational beings. If they are not fully rational, they are falling short of our true

nature. This teleological view gives Aristotle’s Ethics a clear sense of direction. The goal of

humans in life is to achieve their true nature, and this true nature consists essentially of

rationality. The purpose of moral education, then, is to teach them how they may become

perfectly rational and immune to the temptations of their lower animalistic parts.

He was a Teleologist and he believed that all the things that exist in the world have a

purpose and this purpose constitutes their good. Every act and purpose seems to aim at

some good.2 This good is called Eudaimonia. It has no simple English translation, though it

is closely related to happiness. However, in English, happiness is a feeling but for Aristotle,

it is more than that. It is also a way of acting and living.

The writings entitled to Aristotle that are existing now are based on the collection of

writings that had been preserved through the ages. Those works consist mostly of lecture

notes from his courses at the Lyceum. That these works were never intended for

publication explains why they are generally dry and hard to follow. Though Aristotle

published many admired works in his lifetime, none have survived to the present day. The
1
Kenny, Anthony J.P. and Amadio, Anselm H. "Aristotle". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Mar. 2021
2
F. H. Peters, Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co, 1906, p. 1
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book entitled Nicomachean Ethics, one of his three major ethical treatises, lies upon the

purpose of determining the best approach in attaining happiness. This was likely either

edited by or dedicated to Aristotle’s son, Nicomachus. “Nicomachean Ethics is a

philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a human being. Aristotle begins

the work by positing that there exists some ultimate good toward which, in the final

analysis, all human actions ultimately aim. The necessary characteristics of the ultimate

good are that it is complete, final, self-sufficient, and continuous.”3

This composes of ten books, in which the first two books consist of lectures on ethos or

character, edited by his son Nicomachus. The discussion of the books revolves around

claims about happiness, arguments of virtue, justice, intellectual virtue, dealing with issues

regarding moral strength and weakness, pleasure, and friendship. This work became

influential in the time of medieval philosophy.

On the other hand, Bertrand Arthur William Russell is a British philosopher and a

prolific writer. In his early years of life, he had little contact with other children because he

was educated privately. With this, he was able to develop an intense inner life, full of

idealistic feelings and metaphysical profundities, all inspired by a passionate desire for

certainty in knowledge. At the age of 11, he has already begun to have religious doubts,

and his attitude of being skeptical prevailed during his upbringing. One of the effects of this

was that he came to disagree on everything with his family, except for politics. These

situations set the pattern of Russell’s philosophical career.

He has numerous contributions to the world of ethics. He was responsible for some of

the important developments in the 20 th Century Philosophy. Russell's contributions to

3
M, Melissa, Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Summary. GradeSaver, 3 February 2000 Web. 22 February
2021.
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logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of mathematics established him as one of the

foremost philosophers of the 20th century.4

His teaching concerning happiness was written in his book "The Conquest of

Happiness". Russell wrote this during the time of the Great Depression which occurred

from 1929to 1939 and this affected the whole world. It was the worst economic downturn

in history. There was no trace of the exact cause but it is believed that it was affected by

some factors including banks and the crash of stock markets. The crisis affected the

lifestyle of the majority of people badly. Unemployment rapidly rose, homelessness

increased in a great number, prices in agricultural products dropped to their lowest level

and many other negative effects on people’s living. In 1930, he published his book “The

Conquest of Happiness”. In this book, he first expressed his concern about the hindrances

of achieving happiness. His curiosity on why most privileged people are unhappy than

those underprivileged led him to trace the very cause of unhappiness in life. His purpose

was to give awareness and enlightenment to those people affected by it. Then after that, he

finally proposed his theory of what constitutes happiness and how can people attain and

achieve it.

This study will primarily bridge the views of Aristotle and Russell, and bring to light the

works of the philosophers. This will also determine the authenticity and practicality of their

understanding concerning the ultimate good in life.

I. Aristotle’s and Bertrand Russell’s Concept on Happiness

A. Happiness Equals Good Life

4
A. Wood, Bertrand Russel: The Passionate Sceptic, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, UK, 1957 p.34
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Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone value many things because they are means to

other things. For instance, people value money because it lets them buy things they

want. But happiness is something that is valued not as a means to some other end but for

its own sake. It has intrinsic value rather than material value. For Aristotle, the good life

is happiness. Today, many people think of happiness is subjective. To them, a person is

happy if they are enjoying a positive state of mind, and their life is happy if this is true

most of the time. But there is a problem with this way of thinking about happiness.

Imagine a crazy person who spends much of his time enjoying cruel desires, or a

cigarette smoker and alcoholic person who does nothing but sit around all day watching

old TV shows and playing video games. These people may have plenty of pleasurable

subjective experiences, but should they be described as “living well”? Aristotle says no.

He agrees with Socrates that to live the good life one must be a morally good person and

with Epicurus, happy life will involve many varied pleasurable experiences. One cannot

say someone is living the good life if they are often miserable or constantly suffering.

Aristotle’s idea of what it means to live well is objectivist rather than subjectivist. It is

not just a matter of how a person feels inside, although that does matter, it is also

important to consider that certain objective conditions are reached. After all, the purpose

of life is not just to live, but to live “well”.

B. Constituents of Happiness
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Everyone, the wise and even uneducated, agrees that the supreme good is happiness,

but disagrees on the part of what constitutes happiness, on what defines happiness.

Virtues, Justice, Friendship, and Pleasure are the ones that constitute happiness based on

the concept of Aristotle. In the Nicomachean Ethics, these are the titles given to the

books contained in it but he did not typically divide his work into sections or chapters or

give chapter titles. Translators and editors were the ones who added the divisions for

clarity and organization.

II.1 Happiness in the Mind of Bertrand Russell

C. Unfortunate Experience in Life

“In adolescence, I hated life and was continually on the verge of suicide, from which,

however, I was restrained by the desire to know more mathematics. Now, on the contrary,

I enjoy life; I might almost say that with every year that passes I enjoy it more.” 5

Bertrand Russell grew up in a rich family in the United Kingdom, but he was lonely and

suicidal during his teenage years. He had the misfortune of losing his parents when he

was only 6 years old. After that, he lived with his very strict grandparents. He lived much

of his life from scarcity to abundance and vice-versa. However, as he grew up, he found

that knowledge led him on a path to fulfillment. Philosophy and logic helped him to go

deeper into his own experience. It let him feel part of something bigger and helped him

overcome his suffering. According to him, that is part of the hypothesis of how to be

happy. His big ideas concerning happiness were discussed further in his book Conquest

of Happiness. There he put forward his reflections on the question of happiness,

particularly on how it might be attained and enjoyed. It contains a clear, well-constructed

5
B. Russell, The Conquest of Happiness, Canada: Live right, 2013, p. 3
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argument that is outlined in two sections: Causes of Unhappiness and Causes of

Happiness. Russell has some interesting and very relevant things to say about the good

life, about what can be done to attain happiness.

D. The Happy Man

The last but not the least ingredient for happiness is radiance but Russell called this

“The Happy Man”. This part to some extent sums up all his main causes of happiness.

Happiness is achieved by a person's passions and interests that are directed outward of the

self, not inward. When a person turns inward, he closes off, but when he turns outward,

he radiates. There’s an inner radiance that comes out effortlessly, without trying to cover

anything up or show off. It is a challenge for all people to aim at avoiding self-centered

passion and then acquiring those affections and interests that will prevent thoughts that

dwell upon the world of "I". These self-centered passions have some traceable causes

such as fear, envy, and self-admiration, and these, as had been mentioned and discussed

earlier, are some of the causes of unhappiness. It had always been self-absorption that

holds a person from being happy. All unhappiness is rooted in the lack of cooperation

between the self and the society and the conscious and the unconscious mind. The happy

man does not suffer from either of these failures, whose personality is neither divided

against itself nor the world.

II. Similarities and Dissimilarities of Aristotle and Bertrand Russell’s Teaching

on Happiness
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A. General Approach on Examining Happiness

At the beginning of Aristotle's work, he directly deals with the role of happiness in the

life of every person. He stands on the argument that happiness is the highest good of

human beings. It is where all actions done by humans are ultimately aimed at. Happiness

is not far from having or living a good life. The good life is happy. But it is not merely

living a good, happy, and pleasurable life. He gives importance to moderation when

speaking of a good life. He agreed with Socrates and Epicurus that living a good life

means being a morally good person also, but pleasurable experiences are not detached by

this. One cannot say someone is living the good life if they often feel miserable and

experience suffering. Thus, being happy should not just refer to what a person feels

inside, it is also important to consider that certain conditions must be reached.

On the other hand, Bertrand Russell has a different way of examining happiness in life

and how it should be treated. Though, he agrees with Aristotle that happiness is the

highest good that all human is aiming at.

Russell had encountered a lot of misfortunes when he was still young, but that did not

stop him from being happy in his life. Rather, that is where he gets his strength from as

he grew up with the help of logic and philosophy. When he was already a grown man, he

became curious about the unhappiness that surrounded him. What is worse is that he

noticed it from those people who have the luxury in life, not from those people who are

experiencing poverty that cannot suffice the needs for everyday lives to survive. This

curiosity led him to explore and examine the causes of this unhappiness because this

restricts a person from living a good life and happy life. He was deeply concerned with
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unhappiness because obviously, one cannot attain happiness or one cannot be happy if he

is suffering from this disabling malady. This is what differentiates Russell from Aristotle

because he dealt first with unhappiness before going to and identifying the sources of

happiness.

B. Aristotle’s End Good

Aristotle lived in the Ancient Period, while Bertrand Russell existed in the Modern

Period. Aristotle is considered one of the greatest philosophers that existed a long time

ago. He made a lot of contribution that is very near touching every aspect of human

knowledge. That sentence alone answers the question of why he is one of those few

philosophers that examined happiness in life.

The curiosity of Aristotle regarding the purpose of life led him to theorize the so-

called "End Good". Before, happiness was identified only as a matter of good pleasurable

feeling that can be triggered by something, but this kind of thinking was changed and

developed by Aristotle. He proposed that Happiness is the purpose of everything that

people do. Happiness is the highest good that people aim for and it is the good end in

which every action is directed at.

In Bertrand Russell’s teachings, he did not deal much with the meaning of happiness.

He did not specify in his teaching that happiness, for example, is the End Good like how

Aristotle views it. But what can be concluded on his teaching regarding happiness, to

identify the view that he stands, is that happiness is more than a mere feeling or emotion

and it is achieved through putting work and action that is done with discipline. Like what

he had said, "Happiness requires effort" because it does not come in an instant. This is to
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tell that Russell may not have directly and specifically discussed the meaning of

happiness, but the meaning of the happiness that he portrays is visible in his teaching as a

whole.

C. The uniqueness of Russell’s Data on Unhappiness

In the works of Aristotle, it can be seen that he did not devote his time or did not give

much attention to the causes of unhappiness and on how it affects a person’s way of

attaining the end well. On the other hand, Bertrand Russell’s effort on determining the

causes of unhappiness makes his teaching more unique to Aristotle’s. First, he had given

3 types of self-absorbed person which are “The Sinner”, “The Narcissist”, and “The

Megalomaniac” and he achieved this concept through what he had observed in his

experience of unhappiness in life. He noticed that being too self-absorbed blocks the

fruitful and enjoyable opportunities and experiences in life. And these, he believes, are

the primary causes of unhappiness. Thus, it is being egoistic that drives a person towards

all the causes of unhappiness.

Next, he had provided a much more specific type of unhappiness. The unhappiness he

had identified are Byronic Happiness, Competition, Boredom, Fatigue, Envy, Persecution

Mania, and Fear of Public Opinion. These causes of unhappiness that Russell had served

are advantageous in the search for happiness because it serves as an additional or extra

guide to people that is in constant search of happiness. Russell believed that unhappiness

is a sickness that prevents a man to become happy. And this is practically true because

one cannot be happy if he is unhappy. It is a major obstacle to the attainment of

happiness. The differences between Bertrand Russell's experiences in life compared to

Aristotle is a big factor that separates his ideas which led him to conceptualize such
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concepts. Not to disregard Aristotle, he also mentioned unhappiness, like for example in

the discussion of friendship where had discussed the 3 types of Friendship; based on

utility, pleasure, and goodwill. The 2 former are types of friendship that are fleeting and

lead to a person’s disappointment and unhappiness in the end. Aristotle did not have

much to say concerning unhappiness but it does not mean that he does not care about it.

D. Similarities on Components of Happiness

Aristotle shared his constituents of happiness; Virtue, Justice, Pleasure, and

Friendship. A lot of arguments and disagreements had taken place on what constitutes

happiness. As a response, he gave these four to give clarity and unity for those people

having different views regarding what constitutes happiness. In Bertrand Russell's work,

after he had examined and identified the causes of unhappiness, he later provided causes

of happiness which include Zest, Family, Work, Perspective, Balance, and Radiance.

He involved Virtue because as he had stated before, happiness is not a mere feeling,

but a way of acting or living. It is a disposition to act that leads to a happy life. This has a

close likeness to Bertrand Russell's idea of Zest, which is one of Russell’s secrets of

attaining happiness. It is being interested in new experiences available on hand. If a

person wants to do something, he should do it. Zest is an act that starts with the shift of

mindset where the actions of the body will just follow. It is having a particular mindset

towards a goal that will be benefited later on. It is described as a seasoning for life that

adds flavoring that makes something enjoyable. Moral Virtue is learned through constant

practice and habit, and so does Zest.

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Aristotle’s Friends can be matched to Bertrand Russell’s concept of Family. He stated

in his discussion on Friendship, that no one can survive in this world without having

someone being on their side in the journey of life. Friends can be helpful sometimes in

life which can benefit personal growth. Family is the main foundation of each

individual's growth. It is already there before a person is born. Family is a major

component of happiness because that is where individuals are formed. It has a great

influence on a person where their identity, characteristics, personality, behavior, etc. are

formed or shaped. If a person is not raised in a good way, for example in an abusive

family, a great chance that a person will grow up unhappy and ungrateful for the life that

he has. Thus, he will live miserably.

Russell believed that to be truly happy, we have to give and receive affection

freely. Love, as itself, truly gives lasting happiness to people. Aristotle believed too

that loving produces happiness not just for the person that receives love, but the sender

too. Love is not beneficial only for one person, it is like a contagious virus that can

easily spread from one person to another. As Russell explained, the best type of

affection is reciprocally life-giving where each receives affection with joy and gives it

without effort, and each finds the whole world more interesting as a result of the

existence of this reciprocal happiness. Friends who love one another and wish each

other’s good lasts and yields lasting happiness.

The concept of Perspective by Bertrand Russell does have a close similarity to

Aristotle’s concept of Justice. Aristotle gives attention to “being fair” as a component

of his concept of happiness. Happiness, then, does not come from being exclusive to

personal desires, rather it comes from being open to all people around. As Russel had
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written, “It is very easy to become so absorbed in our pursuits, our circle, our type of

work, that we forget how small a part this is of the total human activity and how many

things in the world are entirely unaffected by what we do”. It is not through being too

centered for own wellness, but happiness could be achieved through the common good

of all people. And since the discussion is on not letting ego reign. Russell’s Radiance

can be included and related to this because it is about not turning inward, but turning

outward and through this happiness will naturally radiate without effort. These

concepts give importance to not being too self-absorbed and also on how we relate to

other people. It is one way of maintaining happiness that Aristotle and Russell

conceptualize which is present in everyday lives.

E. Dissimilarities on Components of Happiness

Surprisingly, all of Aristotle's components of happiness have resemblances with some

of Bertrand Russell's components. It may have differences regarding views, explanations,

and concepts but the thought as a whole are certainly almost the same. The only

remaining components of Russell which do not have similarities to Aristotle's are Work

and Balance. Work deals with a very practical aspect in life where one can attain

happiness. While Aristotle did not give any advice regarding work in day-to-day life.

While in Balance, Russell talked about knowing when to put effort and when not to

because it leads to satisfaction and happiness. This demands making the right choices in

some situations. In Aristotle’s teaching, such discussion is not visible or cannot be found.

These are the unique concepts that Russell has.

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III. Conclusion

In every person’s journey on the pursuit towards happiness, people should primarily

adapt the ability to identify, determine, and distinguish authentic happiness, from a

fleeting and bad notion of happiness.

The two philosophers may have their visions, concepts, ideas, and understanding

towards happiness, both of their teachings gave a very significant contribution in regards

to happiness. His view is that certain goods, like life and health, are necessary

preconditions for happiness, and others, such as wealth, friends, fame, and honor, are

embellishments that fill out a good life for a virtuous person. It gives people not only the

ideas of his concept of happiness, but it also gives them a guide on how they can attain

happiness.

After Bertrand Russell had found out about all the maladies of happiness, he

presented his concept of what constitutes happiness. This form of happiness that he

envisions is happiness that depends mainly on a person. People may see happiness as

something that is just a plain and ordinary part of their lives, but these philosophers

gave a new and different perspective that people should not overlook.

According to Aristotle, happiness consists of achieving, through the course of a

whole lifetime, all the goods such as health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc., that lead

to the perfection of human nature and the enrichment of human life. He gave specific

directions and instructions on what to do to attain happiness that can be easily

understood and people are guided on what they should apply to one’s life. No matter

what views a person believes in, a teaching that he is more comfortable with, and a life
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that he had been engaged with, happiness is dependent on himself and with the things

around him. The virtuous person alone can attain happiness and the virtuous person

can never be miserable in the deepest sense, even in the face of misfortune that keeps

him from being happy or blessed.

In his teaching, Aristotle enshrines happiness as the central purpose of life and as

the end goal itself. So happiness combines an element over which a person has greater

control like virtue, with elements over which he has lesser control such as health,

wealth, friends, etc. This is almost connected with Aristotle's teaching that invites

people to become virtuous because true happiness is associated not with bad acts but

with the practice of good deeds. And it is not a matter of a person’s understanding of

how happiness works, rather it is more important to have it in his life.

A difficulty that the researchers encountered was that Aristotle’s teaching

concerning happiness was deeply philosophical in that it was hard to understand if it is

read from the book itself. This is what Aristotle proposes to the people, that they may

be guided on what actions they should impose in their lives to achieve the highest

good, viz. happiness.

With the wide range of fields of study and contributions that Aristotle was involved

in, it's no wonder why he dived into the discussion of happiness in his philosophical

teachings. It is to give people knowledge and advice on happiness for the reason that

they may be fully guided as they continue the journey of their lives.
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In this study, their teachings were initially discussed separately for the readers to

have a clear and sufficient background about their views, ideas, and concept on

happiness.

On the other hand, Bertrand Russell’s experience was a big contributor to the view

that he had on happiness in life. He did not consider happiness as a mere feeling just

like what common ordinary people would view it.

Aristotle believed that a person could only attain happiness by virtue. There were

no other philosophers during his time that can be compared to how much enthusiasm

and dedication he had laid on while examining the happiness of life. He developed and

theorized most of his teaching on happiness from his very own experiences in life. A

kind of happiness that is dependent and determined by the actions that people do in

their daily lives. These include his family, friends, and society, which play a

significant role in a person's belief and treatment towards happiness. This is very

helpful to ordinary people that do not have much background in philosophy and have

an interest in inquiring about happiness. This makes Aristotle commendable and

appreciated for initially starting the inquiry on the happiness of life. And happiness

can be also affected critically especially within the environment that a person lives in.

Bertrand Russell gave a piece of significant information and caution on the malady of

happiness which is not visible in the teachings of Aristotle.

Despite the differences with the approach they put on, most of their concepts of

what constitutes happiness were somehow unintentionally interrelated and connected.

In this kind of generation, the most recommendable teaching on happiness would be

Russell’s for some reason. In the end, authentic happiness will always be possible and
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available for every person. If Aristotle's teachings would be applied to the modern-day

world, he would suggest that people will be happier if they spent less time on sex,

money, entertainment, vacations, and cell phones and devote a greater amount of their

time to increasing their knowledge, having the courage to stand up for what they

believe, and showing grace and patience to others. This happiness does not just come

instantly and be achieved right away, but it requires demanding work and effort to be

fulfilled. He stands on his belief that one cannot attain and enjoy happiness if one is

suffering from this particular kind of sadness. Thus, it leads towards a wrong path

which is directed to a fleeting and temporary kind of happiness that would result in

total discontentment and dissatisfaction. For a fairly small price, one can immediately

take his mind off of his troubles and experience a deep feeling of happiness by

popping a pill or snorting some cocaine. Although some philosophers had contributed

and given their assumptions concerning happiness, there was no further discussion

were given as Aristotle did.

Russell’s view of happiness is very simple. He devoted so much time to the topic of

happiness more than any thinker before the modern era. Authentic happiness will

never be achieved instantly and easily. But it is the possession and exercise of virtue

that is the core constitutive element of happiness. All of those virtues like generosity,

temperance, friendship, and courage that make up the good life appear to be absent in

a life of a drug user. They dug very deep towards the hidden and precious significance

of happiness. Like his concept of Zest which encourages people to be more open and

spontaneous enough to new experiences even if it’s not within the person’s interest.

He was clear to delineate happiness from sensuous pleasures or vices.

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