And performing one's function well, or excellently, is good. For Aristotle human function is to reason, since it is that alone which humans uniquely do. Basically, if it is right, every living thing has a function, that which it uniquely does. He arrived at this claim with the 'Function Argument'. Specifically, Aristotle argued that the good life is the life of excellent rational activity.

Thus understood, the happy life is the good life, that is, a life in which a person fulfills human nature in an excellent way. Eudaimonia (Greek: εὐδαιμονία) is a classical Greek word consists of the word 'eu' ('good' or 'well-being') and 'daimōn' ('spirit' or 'minor deity', used by extension to mean one's lot or fortune). For Aristotle the term eudaimonia, which is translated as 'happiness' or 'flourishing' is an activity rather than an emotion or a state. He observed that men sought riches, or honour, or health not only for their own sake but also in order to be happy. In the Nicomachean Ethics, written in 350 BCE, Aristotle stated that happiness (also being well and doing well) is the only thing that humans desire for their own sake, unlike riches, honour, health or friendship. Aristotle's use of the term in Nicomachiean Ethics extends beyond the general sense of happiness. Eudaimonia is often translated to mean happiness, but some scholars contend that 'human flourishing' may be a more accurate translation. AristotleĪristotle described eudaimonia ( Greek: εὐδαιμονία) as the goal of human thought and action. Throughout the history of moral philosophy, there has been an oscillation between attempts to define morality in terms of consequences leading to happiness and attempts to define morality in terms that have nothing to do with happiness at all. Happiness, however, remains a difficult term for moral philosophy. Happiness is no longer defined in relation to social life, but in terms of individual psychology. The consequence was a redefinition of the moral terms. However, with the rise of individualism, begotten partly by Protestantism and capitalism, the links between duty in a society and happiness were gradually broken. Traditional European societies, inherited from the Greeks and from Christianity, often linked happiness with morality, which was concerned with the performance in a certain kind of role in a certain kind of social life. Philosophy of happiness is often discussed in conjunction with ethics. Main article: Philosophy of happiness Relation to morality Some users accept these issues, but continue to use the word because of its convening power.

The implied meaning of the word may vary depending on context, qualifying happiness as a polyseme and a fuzzy concept.Ī further issue is when measurement is made appraisal of a level of happiness at the time of the experience may be different from appraisal via memory at a later date. Whereas Nordic countries often score highest on swb surveys, South American countries score higher on affect-based surveys of current positive life experiencing. For instance the correlation of income levels has been shown to be substantial with life satisfaction measures, but to be far weaker, at least above a certain threshold, with current experience measures. These differing uses can give different results. Xavier Landes has proposed that happiness include measures of subjective wellbeing, mood and eudaimonia. For instance Sonja Lyubomirsky has described happiness as ' the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.' Eudaimonia, is a Greek term variously translated as happiness, welfare, flourishing, and blessedness. Subjective well-being (swb) includes measures of current experience (emotions, moods, and feelings) and of life satisfaction. Some usages can include both of these factors. For instance Ruut Veenhoven has defined happiness as ' overall appreciation of one's life as-a-whole.' Kahneman has said that this is more important to people than current experience. appraisal of life satisfaction, such as of quality of life.This usage is prevalent in dictionary definitions of happiness.

For instance Daniel Kahneman has defined happiness as ' what I experience here and now'.

the current experience of the feeling of an emotion (affect) such as pleasure or joy, or of a more general sense of 'emotional condition as a whole'.

The word is mostly used in relation to two factors: 'Happiness' is the subject of debate on usage and meaning, and on possible differences in understanding by culture.

12 Contributing factors and research outcomes.

10 Relationship to physical characteristics and heritability.

5.1.4 Modernization and freedom of choice.

Meaning of pursuit of happiness song