Euidaimonia - human flourishing

[Surya]

So, I am journaling at this moment, and came to think about the concept of Euidaimonia. Lets go.

 

For Aristotle, the good life is about striving to realise one's own potential in the best possible way. This is the purpose of all life. A seed can realise its potential and become a flower. For humans, it is about realising their potential as rational and thinking beings.

 

Think of a flower. If you wather it, give it enough light, maybe feed it a little, then it will grow and bloom... Human beings can flourish like plants too
Nigel Warburton

 

Eudoaimonia is somewhat tricky to translate. Literally, it means “to live well,” but “human flourishing,” as in the quote above, captures its essence better. Don’t confuse this with being happy; it refers to a state of being. A state you achieve by acting virtuously. It should be noted that they did not use the word in the same way we use virtue today:
‘The Greek word for virtue is “ARETE”. For the Greeks, the notion of virtue is tied to the notion of function (ERGON). The virtues of something are what enable it to perform excellently its proper function. Virtue (or arete) extends beyond the realm of morality; it concerns the excellent performance of any function.’

Cognates (to arete) includes sanskrit Rta (from where we get dharma), avestan areta (order) and middle high german art (innate featureI). There seems sot be some kind of red thread here, namley cosmic law. If you live in accordancec to it, the gods will reward you.

 

This would be (1) individual:

Quote

For Aristotle, eudaimonia is the highest human good, the only human good that is desirable for its own sake (as an end in itself) rather than for the sake of something else (as a means toward some other end).

Cobbled from the Greek "eu" ("good") and "daimon" ("spirit" or "deity"), eudaimonia means striving toward excellence based on one's unique talents and potential—Aristotle considered it to be the noblest goal in life.

In his time, the Greeks believed that each child was blessed at birth with a personal "daimon" embodying the highest possible expression of his or her nature. One way they envisioned the daimon was as a golden figurine that would be revealed by cracking away an outer layer of cheap pottery (the person's exterior).

 

As well as (2) universal (or close to it, anyway, as we share in being human):

And how do we achieve this? 

Spoiler

 

Thats how 

 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

PS: This is not very in depth (very shallow acctually), and I would prefer to post this in the personal practice thing you got going on (but I dont have one). Anyhow, I hope it is of interrest to some of you, and feedback is always welcome.

 

[Mark Foote]

1 hour ago, Surya said:

So, I am journaling at this moment, and came to think about the concept of Euidaimonia. Lets go.

 

For Aristotle, the good life is about striving to realise one's own potential in the best possible way. This is the purpose of all life. A seed can realise its potential and become a flower. For humans, it is about realising their potential as rational and thinking beings.

 

Think of a flower. If you wather it, give it enough light, maybe feed it a little, then it will grow and bloom... Human beings can flourish like plants too
Nigel Warburton

 

Eudoaimonia is somewhat tricky to translate. Literally, it means “to live well,” but “human flourishing,” as in the quote above, captures its essence better. Don’t confuse this with being happy; it refers to a state of being. A state you achieve by acting virtuously. It should be noted that they did not use the word in the same way we use virtue today:
‘The Greek word for virtue is “ARETE”. For the Greeks, the notion of virtue is tied to the notion of function (ERGON). The virtues of something are what enable it to perform excellently its proper function. Virtue (or arete) extends beyond the realm of morality; it concerns the excellent performance of any function.’

Cognates (to arete) includes sanskrit Rta (from where we get dharma), avestan areta (order) and middle high german art (innate featureI). There seems sot be some kind of red thread here, namley cosmic law. If you live in accordancec to it, the gods will reward you.

 

This would be (1) individual:

 

As well as (2) universal (or close to it, anyway, as we share in being human):

And how do we achieve this? 

  Hide contents

 

Thats how 

 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

PS: This is not very in depth (very shallow acctually), and I would prefer to post this in the personal practice thing you got going on (but I dont have one). Anyhow, I hope it is of interrest to some of you, and feedback is always welcome.

 

@Nungali

 

hmmm.  That didn't go bold, the way I expected--the mysteries of Dao Bums.  He's the man, for eudaimania.

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:33 PM by Mark Foote

[Surya]

4 minutes ago, Mark Foote said:

That didn't go bold, the way I expected

What did you expect?