In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle asserts that all things have their own primary purpose, or end. He says that the good, or happiness, can be achieved by reaching that primary purpose. For example, an acorn’s primary purpose or end is to grow into an oak tree. An airplane’s primary purpose is to fly. And according to Aristotle, a human’s primary purpose is to develop reason and intellect—and to develop this intellect to its fullest potential. If this can be done, he says that happiness will be found, and the individual will be living the good life. And yet, Aristotle says, the “common run of people” (i.e., the Average Joe) look for happiness through pleasure, wealth, or honor.

1. What do you think of Aristotle’s conclusion that the good life is a life of intellectual contemplation and are there other ways of life that could bring happiness?