Is this true that all human beings desire to be happy and the highest good is happiness? There has been a great debate over the highest human good and whether happiness is the highest good. Philosophers have said that the highest good is happiness. Others have said that it is piety. Aristotle insists that all human beings desire to be happy and the highest good is happiness. But what is happiness? If I am smiling does that mean I'm happy? If someone wants to be lonely is that mean to be lonely can be happiness? For instance, an old man decided natural death because he doesn't want to impose burden to his children such as hospital bills. Does he choose natural death because of happiness? Aristotle's contention that happiness is the highest good is incorrect because there are more things, which are valuable than happiness. I do not believe only that all human beings desire to be happy, but also happiness has to be had pleasure.
Detail of The School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio...
English: ubuntu for human beings
The Human Use of Human BeingsI am going to develop by my point of view with questionings.
Aristotle says that good and happiness consist in pleasure, and consequently people are content with a life of mere enjoyment. I disagree with that, as there are so many people who abandon their pleasure and pleasurable things in life such as enjoyment. A monk gives up for a life of solitude and piety. A priest also gives up pleasure that he can have and decides to sacrifice his entire life to God. Are their lives with abstinence from pleasure happy as all human beings desire to be happy, the highest good? I do not think they become a monk or priest to pursue their happy life. A monk cannot be as happy as others if he does not have...