The Good and The Bad: Is it necessary to be moral to achieve a happy life? The Essence Of Morality and Redefining What It Means To Live a Happy Life: A Dissertation Analyzing Aristotelian and Kantian Ethics

Abstract

Through critical analysis of Aristotle’s theory of ethics in his Nicomachean Ethics, I supplement Immanuel Kant’s deontological pursuits for the philosophical study of morality and construct my own argument, rooted in part with my own unique experiences, for redefining what a “happy” or “well-lived” life is for individuals, and wholistically. This connection between morality and the value of life calls to promote virtuous behavior, moral excellence, and freedom by referencing the qualities and characteristics of human nature and the capacity to reason. I work to further the philosophical discussions of morality in hopes of fighting for a better understanding of what it means to live a well-lived life through virtuous behavior as well as considering someone’s individual moral obligations to him or herself and society.