Aristotle 's ethical theory  ----  What true happiness is  (OG P163  Listening Script)

   Why is Aristotle interested in human happiness? It's not just because it's something that all people want to aim for. It's more than that. But to get there we need to first make a very important distinction. Let me introduce a couple of technical terms: extrinsic value and intrinsic value.  

Some things we aim for and value, not for the themselves but for what they bring about in addition to themselves. If I value something as a means to something else, then it has what we will call "extrinsic value".  Other things we desire and hold to be valuable for themselves alone. If we value something not as a means to something else, but for its own sake, let us say that it has "intrinsic value".

Exercise. There may be some people who value exercise for itself, but I don't. I value exercise because if I exercise, I tend to stay healthier than I would if I didn't.  So I desire to engage in exercise and I value exercise extrinsically… not for its own sake, but as a means to something beyond it.  It brings me good health.

Health. Why do I value good health? Well, here it gets a little more complicated for me. Um, health is important for me because I can't… do other things I want to do ---- play music, teach philosophy---If I'm ill.  So health is important to me -----has value to me ----as a means to a productive life.  But health is also important to me because I just kind of like to be healthy----it feels good.  It's pleasant to be healthy, unpleasant not to be. So to some degree I value health both for itself and as a means to something else: Productivity. It's got extrinsic and intrinsic value for me.

Then there's some things that are just valued for themselves. I'm a musician, not a professional musician; I just play a musical instrument for fun. Why do I value playing music? Well, like most amateur musicians, I only play because , well , I just enjoy it. It's something that's an end in itself.

Now, something else I value is teaching. Why?  Well, it brings in a modest income, but I could make more money doing other things. I'd do it even they didn't pay me. I just enjoy teaching. In that sense it's an end to itself.

But teaching is not something that has intrinsic value for all people----and that's true generally. Most things that are enjoyed in and of themselves vary from person to person. Some people values teaching intrinsically, but others don't.

So how does all this related to human happiness? Well, Aristotle asks:  is there something that all human beings value... and value only intrinsically , for its own sake and only for its own sake? If you could find such a thing, that would be the universal final good, or truly the ultimate purpose or goal for all human beings. Aristotle thought the answer was yes. What is it?  Happiness .  Everyone will agree, he argues, that happiness is the ultimate end to be valued for itself and really only for itself. For what other purpose is there in being happy? What does it yield? The attainment of happiness becomes the ultimate or highest good for Aristotle.

The next question that Aristotle raises is : What is happiness? We all want it ; we all desire it; we all seek it. It's the goal we have in life. But what is it? How do we find it ?  Here he notes, with some frustration ,people disagree.

But he does give us a couple of criteria, or features, to keep in mind as we look for what true human happiness is. True happiness should be, as he puts it, complete. Complete in that it's all we require. Well, true human happiness…. If you had that ,what else do you need？Nothing.

And, second, true happiness should be something that I can obtain on my own. I should not have to rely on other people for it. Many people value fame and seek fame. Fame for them becomes the goal. But, according to Aristotle , this won't work either, because fame depends altogether too much on other people. I can't get it on my own, without help from other people.

In the end, Aristotle says that true happiness is the exercise of reason----a life of intellectual contemplation… of thinking. So let's see how he comes to that.

　　“而我尤其要说的，是我的老伴可忻。我十分清楚，我能最终走出生命的‘冰谷’，全仰赖她的坚定，果断（我的性格根本上是软弱的），她的温柔，体贴（我是最不会照料自己的）。每当思及充满未知因素的“将来”，不免有些惆怅时，只要想到她会默默地与我共同承受一切，我就似乎有了‘底’。她是我生活中永远不倒的树，我乐于公开承认这一点，并无半点愧色。因为我知道，在她的心目中，我也是这样一株树——在充满险恶的人世中，我们互相苦苦支撑：这就足够了。我的这本书当然应该献给她，我的可忻。记得在15年前的新婚之夜，我也曾向可忻献过一本书——那时十年浩劫还没有结束，我虽也写有近百万字，却不可能出版；献上的是手抄本，书名《为怕鲁迅学习》。现在，“书”由手写变成了铅印，但那份情意却没有变，依然那样深挚、纯真——但愿我们永远像年轻人那样相爱，尽管此时我们都已两鬓斑白，并一天天走向归宿。”

——钱理群《大小舞台之间》

“当我求学北京以后，母亲每天都关注北京的天气。父亲说，看北京的天气预报是母亲一天中最重要的事。
在蜀中的母亲，居然能像把脉一样，把出北京的体温。而母亲，至今没有到过北京。
北京的一千多万人口中，母亲只认识她儿子一个人。
关于爱，没有比这更好的定义了。”

感同身受。