You should now have a good understanding of how Plato and Aristotle conceived of the Good Life. Choose one of these philosophers and work out a comparison between their view of the Good Life and a view based on the teachings of Jesus. (Not on "the Bible" but on the teachings of Jesus).
Aristotle sees the good life as the state in which a person exhibits total virtue. Aristotle believes the perfect state will bring forth the virtue in men. He also argues that the good life is different for each individual because it comes from living one's life according to one's virtues, and each person has different virtues.
Aristotle agrees that good life is the exhibition of perfect virtue, he disagrees on the particular definition of virtue, and it's relevance to happiness, and therefore disagrees on the means of attaining happiness. He also believes that the good life is achieved through a perfect state, which causes its citizens to act upon their virtues.
Aristotle first splits forms of the good into three parts, external goods, goods of the body, and goods of the soul. He goes on to say that goods of the soul (virtues) are the most important because with them, a person can gain material wealth and pleasure. Aristotle defines happiness and therefore the good life as the realization and perfect exercise of excellence. Meaning that ultimate happiness occurs when a person's actions are all-virtuous and have goals which are virtuous. It also implies that in order to live the good life, there must be no action which is unnecessary, but for the sake of virtue.
Aristotle also sees happiness as part of the good life. To Aristotle happiness is the result of being virtuous, because by being virtuous one obtains pleasure and external wealth. Also Aristotle agrees on the importance of interpersonal relationships in the quest for the good life. .
How different where Aristotle's Good Llife different from the teachings of Jesus? Aristotle's focus was man, his tool reason; Jesus' focus was god, his tool revelation.
