The Driver of Human Civilisation: Eudaimonia
That's Philosophical #38
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Aristotle was the first scientist in recorded history. He came up with a number of fundamental concepts and one of them was Eudaimonia- “human flourishing”. He described it as:
“The highest human good, the only human good that is desirable for its own sake, rather than for the sake of something else”.
This is really remarkable, considering he was one of the first people to write about existentialism. Aristotle came up with the concept of purpose, he believed that it was the ultimate goal of human life. Even if you are hearing this word for the first time, you still are being driven by this force.
Even though a lot of it is similar to happiness, Aristotle considered these as two different concepts.
The main principle
“A life of eudaimonia is a life of striving. It’s a life of pushing yourself to your limits, and finding success. A eudaimonistic life will be full of the happiness that comes from achieving something really difficult, rather than just having it handed to you.”
Aristotle was against simple pleasures that we confuse with actual happiness. That’s why hedonism and eudaimonia are two different concepts.
He proposed the concept that some of our goals are subordinate to others. For example:
A person wants to move to a new city. Why? To get more job opportunities, he says. Why? To get more money. Why? To buy a car and to travel. Why?
All of our desires break down into deeper layers of what we actually want in the end. Eventually, it all comes down to being happy.
Eudaimonia is the ultimate factor of human life that drives us forward. And for me, it is really scary that it’s driven by a bunch of chemicals in our bodies.
The scary thought
Entire life decisions, plans, careers, economies, everything is built on chains of chemical reactions inside of our bodies. I find it crazy.
And if the whole world is built on this, can we hack our bodies into thinking that they are happy and content with anything?
Is that dystopian science fiction or a desirable innovation that will finally lead to global equality?
Or is this only going to be available to the upper classes who will be able to afford the luxury of next-generation pleasure machines, without any downsides, unlike drugs?
I think that this future is possible. If not for all of us, but at least for some. Why bother living if you can just get the same experience out of your life artificially?
Are feelings the only thing that matters? What if our brains value our interaction with the actual world as highly as the end result? But what about already existing stimuli, like cigarettes? Are they just the start of our search for the pill of happiness? Or maybe even purpose?.. Eudaimonia?
Every philosophy took it differently
It’s interesting that almost every school of philosophy in ancient Greece had its own take on Eudaimonia. Aristotle’s idea made its way into all modern western philosophies. Every single one had something to say about it. You can’t have a philosophy of living if you don’t come up with the motivation of living.
Epicureans considered their purpose is pleasure within moral values.
Socrates thought that Eudaimonia means wisdom.
Stoics thought that it means living in agreement with nature.
Cyreniacs believed in physical hedonistic pleasure.
This is an example of how philosophers built their concepts on top of each other. But at the end of the day, we are all different and we are here to experience different things. One thing unites us- Eudaimonia.
Final thoughts
I think that it’s important for us to understand the difference between pleasure and pure happiness. Anything that is bought or not worked towards is doomed to be just a short-term pleasure.
True happiness comes from within, it comes from the things that are impossible to buy. You can “rent” a friend online, but can you actually form a genuine connection using that money? You can’t because you just bought a cover of what actual human connection is supposed to be. I talked about it in one of my previous issues.
Yes, money can help you achieve happiness, but it’s only a tool, it’s important to know how to use it properly.
Aristotle was one of the first people to ever speak out about life purpose and the reason behind our behaviour. A philosopher born 100 years before him already started to argue that we are under control of our own destiny, in the other part of the world. The guy’s name was Confucius.
Even though the concept of Eudaimonia is often vague and is described differently by every philosopher, it still holds its value to this day- what is your purpose? And why do you do the things you do?
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
― Aristotle
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Super son!