Eudaimonia (pronounced roughly you-dai-moh-nee-ah).
Eudaimonia is an ancient Greek term that is central to Aristotelian ethics and other Hellenistic philosophies. It’s often translated, but no single English word perfectly captures its meaning. Common translations include:
- Flourishing
- Living Well
- Human Flourishing
- Well-being
- Living a Good Life
- Happiness (though this is often seen as a less accurate translation in the modern sense of fleeting pleasure or contentment)
What Aristotle Meant by Eudaimonia in the Context of Human Existence:
The philosopher most famously associated with Eudaimonia is Aristotle, particularly in his work Nicomachean Ethics. For Aristotle, Eudaimonia was not merely a subjective feeling of happiness, like feeling good or pleased. It was something more objective and active, fundamentally tied to the nature of human beings as part of the world they inhabit.
Here are the key aspects of Aristotle’s concept, viewed through the lens of our place within the natural realm:
- It’s an Activity Within a Natural Context, Not a Purely Internal State: Eudaimonia isn’t something you have or a state you reach and stay in isolation. It’s about how you live – Aristotle defines it as “an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue (excellence).” Crucially, this “activity” takes place within and interacts with the physical and natural world that humans are intrinsically a part of. Our actions, virtuous or otherwise, unfold within an ecological reality.
- It’s Tied to Virtue (Arete) Cultivated Through Interaction: To achieve Eudaimonia, one must live a virtuous life. Virtue (arete) means excellence – excellence in performing the functions unique to human beings. Aristotle argued that the distinguishing function of humans is our capacity for reason and our social nature. Living virtuously means exercising our reason well, cultivating good character traits (like courage, justice, temperance, wisdom), and acting in accordance with these virtues. Cultivating these virtues is often done in response to and within the challenges and opportunities presented by our environment, both human and natural. Patience might be learned from observing natural cycles; humility from confronting nature’s power; wisdom from understanding our limits within the ecosystem.
- It’s About Realizing Human Potential as Ecological Beings: For Aristotle, every living thing has a purpose or function (ergon). A flourishing plant grows strong and bears fruit, drawing sustenance from its environment. A flourishing human uses their reason and social nature excellently to live a life of virtue. Eudaimonia is about fulfilling our potential, and this potential isn’t just cerebral or social; it is the potential of a human being, an organism that evolved within and is sustained by the Earth’s systems. Our flourishing is inherently linked to the flourishing of the environment that supports us.
- It Requires External Goods, Including a Healthy Environment: While the core of Eudaimonia is virtuous activity, Aristotle acknowledged that certain external goods are necessary conditions or tools. These include things like health, friends, moderate wealth, and good fortune. Extending this, access to a healthy, stable, and vibrant natural environment can be seen as a fundamental “external good” – a necessary foundation and context for individual and collective well-being and the capacity to live a life of virtue and purpose. You cannot easily flourish mentally or physically in a degraded or toxic environment.
- It’s a Lifelong Pursuit Within the World’s Cycles: Eudaimonia isn’t a temporary peak of happiness. It’s the result of a lifetime of consistent virtuous activity and striving for excellence. This lifelong process unfolds within the constant presence and ever-changing cycles of the natural world, which provides a continuous backdrop for learning, adaptation, and the practice of virtues like resilience, appreciation, and responsible action towards our surroundings.
In simple terms:
Eudaimonia is the idea of a life well-lived – a life of purpose, meaning, and flourishing that comes from exercising our highest capacities (our reason and social nature) and cultivating excellent character (virtue) as beings deeply embedded within and interdependent with the natural world. It’s about striving for excellence in being human, recognizing that our ability to live well is intrinsically connected to the health and reality of the ecological systems of which we are a part.
Connecting with nature, as discussed in the previous post, can therefore be seen not just as an external activity related to stewardship, but as an integral part of the very pursuit of Eudaimonia itself – fostering the virtues, providing necessary physical and mental conditions, and grounding our sense of self and purpose within the ecological reality of which we are inextricably a part.