Questions:

Write a Mini Essay

Instructions

As the title suggests, you are expected to write a mini-essay. Ideally, this would deal with one of the issues related to the topic of the essay you will submit as part of the assessment for this module; however, even if you will change your mind later on and decide to write an essay on a different topic, this exercise will still be helpful.

NB: You will not be allowed to cut and paste this portfolio work in your essay or to use it as such; yet, doing this mini-essay on an issue relevant for the topic of your essay will be helpful – it will mean you will have already done part of the research and preparation necessary for writing the essay.

WHAT TO DO:

1. Choose an essay topic from the list in the module guide

2. Think of an issue which is related to that topic and which needs to be discussed in order to tackle the essay’s questions. For instance, as mentioned above, say you chose “Is leading a good life merely a matter of luck? Discuss in relation to Aristotle’s theory”; you may then focus on the issue of what a good life is for Aristotle or on the issue of what it would mean for something to be merely a matter of luck. Write the mini-essay on that issue by following the guidance above; altogether the work should be around 500 words, not including Bibliography or footnotes (if applicable)

The essay should include the following elements:

1. ONE PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING THE AIM OF THE MINI-ESSAY

NB: Please do not write this paragraph by rephrasing in a wordier manner the title. For instance, say you chose to write the mini-essay on an issue related to the question: “Is leading a good life merely a matter of luck? Discuss in relation to Aristotle’s theory”. Say you focused on the issue of what a good life is for Aristotle. If you then say that the aim of the essay is to discuss, in relation to Aristotle’s theory, what the good life is, then you are not saying anything that is not already in the title; it is a mere repetition of the title. If, by contrast, you explain that the aim is to show (for the sake of illustration) that Aristotle takes the good life to be neither simply a matter of happiness (understood as satisfaction of desires), nor simply a matter of virtue (understood as the performance of virtuous actions), then you are being informative.

Please note also that the introduction and aim of the essay are usually written or revised at the end, once you have an overview of the argument the essay formulates.

1. SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS OF THE ARGUMENT SHOWING WHAT YOU SAID YOU AIMED TO SHOW

For instance, you may need to quote Aristotle with a clear definition of the good life. Then you may need to refer to secondary literature where Aristotle is portrayed as putting emphasis more on the satisfaction of desires or more on virtuous character. Then you may need to show why these interpretations are not accurate.

III. ONE PARAGRAPH CONCLUDING THE ARGUMENT

Here it would be useful to summarise the argument and to identify its limits (whether it has achieved the aim proposed or whether there are further issues which need to be considered, etc.)

NB: Here the text may sometimes be repetitive, especially if you think your argument achieves what you stated at the beginning you wanted the argument to achieve. To avoid mere repetition, bear in mind that this is where you can explain how the various parts of the essay hang together and depend on each other to demonstrate what you want to show in the essay.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Here you can use the Bibliographical Exercise already submitted, but you should not include the reasons for the choice of the texts – these will probably be evident from the outline of the argument.

NB: The Bibliography should include mainly texts you are referring to in your essay plan or texts you think will be central for the essay (although if they will be central, it is likely you will refer to them in the essay plan).

Answers;

Aristotle thought that while people do have control on themselves, luck also plays a significant role in leading the good life. He displays the medium position in between the two extreme opinions (Kuninski, 2006). The first opinion says that luck is all that matters and effort does not.  And the second view is which says effort is all that matters for a good life and luck does not. Now for Aristotle, he believed in both. He claimed that luck and effort both are equally vital for the person to live his life nicely (Macaro, 2005).

According to him, the luck is all opinion was wrong. To live well is the kind of act that is performed by the human beings. Since, it is performed, then one must become active and should apply efforts for that (MAJITHIA, 1999). In case if the effort does not matter, then human beings will be like babies or object who just can’t live a good life or survive. Then also a good life needs success in the activities performed and not just activities are to be attempted. Similarly, the person is not able to live a good life if he or she keeps on sleeping. When the person receives appreciation and praise, then only a person is living a good life. That is what Aristotle’s thoughts were. But in reality, life is more than this. Most of the people should have a good life this was their claim by Aristotle (Clark, 1993). The people who do not do good or perform ethical actions, life will never be good to them as they would always feel that trauma or depression from their acts. For such people life can never be good even when they are leading a wealthy and healthy life. From inside it would be hollow. The fourth claim of Aristotle was that the life which is good must be still and stable. While a person can lose good life, this can happen when misfortune happens. Otherwise, when one person has good life, it cannot be taken from that person. Like it will be very hard to do so. These are the reasons, Aristotle thought that effort also matters with the luck (Armon & Dawson, 2002).

Whereas Plato, who was the tutor of Aristotle claimed that good life needs trying to be satisfied as far as it is possible. Plato thought that the activities which should be done by the people are to be as stable and invulnerable to chance.

They both disagreed on a lot of things but also, they both agreed that happiness is in the end beyond the control of the person. This agreement was also disagreed by Epictetus who claimed that happiness is in control of oneself. As long as the person will have the correct attitude towards life and control on one selves, life will be satisfied and hence, happy too.

Hence, one can conclude that while Aristotle also had his views on leading the good life but there are arguments which does not agree to all his claims.

References

Armon, C. & Dawson, T. L., 2002. The Good Life. In The Handbook of Adult development, pp. 271-300.

Clark, S., 1993. Aristotle on the Human Good. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 113, pp. 193-194.

Kuninski, T., 2006. Is Political Life A Happy Life According To Aristotle?. Diametros, Volume 8, pp. 56-67.

Majithia, R., 1999. Aristotle on the good life. [Online]
Available at: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0006/NQ40381.pdf
[Accessed 25 June 2018].

Macaro, 2005. Aristotle and the Good Life. Practical Philosophy, 7(2), pp. 4-6.

Torrance, D., 2015. Practical Wisdom and the Pursuit of the Good in the Good Life. Master of Applied Positive Psychology, Volume 85.