Aristotle’s idea of virtue is that it is the means to an end; virtue is the way to achieve a goal. In Greek-speak, this is called teleology, since telos is the Greek word for “end” or “goal”. Here’s how he puts it:
Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim. (N. Ethics I.1)
If, then, there is some end [i.e., goal] of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake (everything else being desired for the sake of this) … clearly this must be the good and the chief good. (N. Ethics I.2)
Now, the “chief good” of people is usually called “happiness” (which, in Greek, is eudaimonea, literalistically good-spiritedness, good-life). He points out that, while everyone seems to agree on the word, many different ideas of what the word means are floating around, ranging from physical pleasure to social honors to philosophical contemplation. It’s important to know what happiness is so that we can know how to use virtue to attain it, just as it’s important for a plumber to know how the pipes are supposed to work so that he knows what tools he needs to install or repair them.
Don't worry
Happiness: more than a feeling
Now, I usually think of happiness as a word to describe how I’m feeling at the moment, as in, “I’m happy to see my friends” or “I’m unhappy that my car has broken down.” But Aristotle is talking about something more permanent. Essentially, he says that happiness is being fully human, of fulfilling one’s nature as a person.
That means, of course, that we need to know what human nature is. It’s certainly a part of human nature to have emotions, and to have physical senses that can receive pleasure or pain, and even (going to the most basic level) just to be alive. But these are things that we share with other creatures in the world, such as plants or animals.
What sets human beings apart, for Aristotle, is that we can reason. More than just thinking logically, this includes the ability to make decisions. That is, it means we have free will. And that means that our happiness depends on our freely chosen actions.
Virtue and happiness for all
So it’s obvious that virtue is all about making good decisions, or, in other words, about choosing to act according to our nature rather than against it. This is why, for example, so many moralists have warned people against acting like animals: if we follow our emotions and ignore our intellect, we’re acting against our own nature, and won’t find happiness.
But there’s one other aspect of human nature that comes into play: our social nature. As John Donne put it, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” None of my actions, no matter how private, can be confined only to myself without affecting others. My simplest thoughts change my choice of words, my body language, my emotional reactions.
This means that the happiness I seek is not merely my own, but is the fulfillment of the human community as a whole. If anyone weeps, I must weep with him, and if any rejoices I share that joy.
I have a friend who would disagree with the first half of what you write. She is a self-proclaimed hodonist with full understanding of that word means. However….she and her husband do not have many friends. Their choices isolate them from others. They don’t care about common good, or the good of others…in fact, they would pour money into saving animals, but hate people. They say that “they like it that way” and yet I see so much pain in them. Virtue is good. Virtue in context of community and seeking the good of others is much better. I am sad for these friends of mine because I think they could be much happier. I am riminded that my choices do affect my happiness and the happiness of others.
People who “love” animals and yet “hate” people are interesting group.
It seems to me that you cannot truly love animals until you embrace the human animal, too. For instance, from a diet perspective, humans are truly omnivores — we require both plant and animal based foods for optimal health. And yet some groups would tell us that eating meat is cruel and bad. But does that mean that all animals who require meat based foods are cruel and bad? Are my dietary needs less important than my cat’s because my brain is bigger (although not always smarter)??
And if I suffer directly from eating a poor diet, is that “okay”? I’m an animal, too…
Sorry for this tangent. I do feel sorry for your friends because it just doesn’t seem like you can achieve happiness by rejecting the human race, for all it’s flaws.