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Eudaimonia is the flourishing state of human being that is the human goal and to
which all other goals are secondary. 1 It is living in accordance with reason and aiming
towards excellence and the realization of a complete human life. 2 For Aristotle, human
excellence is obtained when we cultivate our unique capacity for reason and use it to
guide our actions throughout our lives. Thus, one is said to be able to achieve
eudaimonia through excellent usage of reason to guide the soul, especially its irrational
aspect. Its link with virtue is emphasized by Aristotle. Possessing good moral character
and actually living out virtues in daily life is vital in attaining it. He highlights the reflective
life as the most important component. Characterized by reason and deliberation it
facilitates the development of human excellence and ideally consists exclusively of
reflection upon eternal truths. However, it is not a life of which human beings are
capable. Given humanitys nature of being physical, emotional and social beings,
humans can only engage in theoria at best episodically. Thus, the reflective life alone
will not suffice and man must live an ethical life and reflect when he is able. However,
because the ethical life is bounded by the kalon (the admirable) and aischron (the
shameful), one must not allow the reflective life to impede the ethical life. For example,
one must not leave their children in order to reflect; because a happy life will contain
both. Additionally, the reflective and ethical life must also contain external goods
because these are needed in order to allow a person to reflect.
Leading a reflective life entails adopting a thoughtful and critical mindset where
we constantly re-evaluate our values, character, perspectives and life choices. It is the
1 Widdows, Heather. Global Ethics: An Introduction. Durham: Acumen, 2011. 60.
2 Fave, Antonella. The Exploration of Happiness Present and Future Perspectives. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013.

careful consideration and discernment of the meaning and value of one's goals and
actions, eventually pursuing some and letting go of others. Being reflective means
becoming less-impulse driven and taking time to stop and think of the consequences
our actions can have not just on ourselves but on society as a whole. It allows for us to
learn from our mistakes and change for the better. Without contemplative activity, our
lives would remain unexamined until the very end.
The group agrees that the ideal state of life is living the ethical and reflective life.
Human nature dictates that we are sometimes ruled by physical urges or our irrational
souls. Aristotle speaks of akrasia (weakness of the will) and how human beings can be
side-tracked from living a virtuous life by temptations that will only lead to short-term
happiness (e.g. alcohol or drugs). It is a very possible reality for the majority of people.
In the quest for Eudaimonia, one is constantly practicing goodness and virtue in his/her
life while reflecting on it constantly. It allows one to develop a clear perspective on what
one truly desires out of life, and over time, it develops an individuals resistance towards
the distractions of unnecessary wants and misguided ideas. It is a good life, because it
is spent in pursuit of the ultimate goal of human existence; it is a life lived for the greater
good. Although the result is not something that is immediately reaped, If people
continuously strive to live ethical and reflective lives, it will not just benefit individuals,
but more importantly society as a whole.
The group also agrees that one needs external goods in order to reach
happiness. However, the need for an external good will depend on the severity of how
much this external good will impede the reflection of one person. If an external good like
a basic need, perhaps food, is unattainable for a person, then this would not allow one

to reflect. A phone, however, may only be a luxury; and even a life filled with luxuries
would not necessarily mean one is happy. And yet, a person who does not have these
luxuries may still be able to reflect and realize that he is actually happy.