2/8/12

What helps you lead a happy life, is it all of the money you gain or all the friends you make? Well if you ask Aristotle he would say that to lead a happy life you have to reflect and lead a life of reason. There should be no passive enjoyment only the use of reason. Plato believed that we needed to escape the cave to see the light and find the truth, but Aristotle believed that we didn't need to get out of the cave, only see what is in front of us. But being human, it is in our nature to be social animals, but because of this nature does that not allow us to exercise reason alone and still be happy? Aristotle believed that if you couldn't test your virtues by yourself, that the interaction with others help you learn. To be good to yourself is be thought to be living the "good life", but if we don't help others we are not acting human based on our nature because we can't survive alone. We can't funtion on our own, think about it; would wouldn't be able to brush your teeth without someone getting the water to work in the sink or making your tooth brush and tooth paste. We are dependent on others from birth until death.