What is Eudaimonia? (Ancient Greek Philosophy)

A Definition of the ancient Greek term Eudaimonia, sometimes translated as happiness, flourishing, or the good life, as well as views from the Stoics, Epicureans, Cyrenaics and Aristotle on what the good life meant.

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Information for this video gathered from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy and more!

[henchmanzer]

"They don't think it be like it is, but it do" -Socrates

[LetsTalkPhilosophy]

Thank you for the detailed videos! I always gain something watching your videos.

[sisonkemgwebi]

My favourite explanation is “a life well lived, not merely survived”

Thank you so much for this full breakdown by philosopher

[iamkoka]

Hey there! Thanks for this putting together of all kinds of derivation to this beautiful concept which is correctly pronounced ˌyüdēˈmōnēə,

I have written a song with that album. It describes more or less, that true happines derives from connection with our soul, not from external factors. It is also the name of my first upcoming album. Many blessings ✨

[Miraissopeak]

This channel teaches me more than my school ever did!

[ThePathOfEudaimonia]

Personally I find the Stoic way (combined with a Taoism go-with-the-flow kind of life) a really effective hardline core philosophy to always fall back on and keep me grounded, with a "shell" of Aristotle's ethics to flourish in other domains of my life, always conscious of not becoming too emotionally attached to those (Stoic) "(dis)preferred indifferents". Epicureanism for me is a useful way to think about pleasure and pain, and to use this mode of thinking to minimize unnecessary mental and physical suffering, and to maximize (longterm) mental and physical pleasure.

Still trying to find my way, but I like to get the wisdom from different viewpoints and try to integrate them in the best way possible.

[alwayswondering]

Something that might be of interest to those of you here; Aristotle, who is considered the West's first
naturalist, used another Greek word whose meaning like X has a well known understanding. This word was used to explain the 'potentiality' within a tiny acorn within which an entire oak tree resided.
He labled this 'force' the 'entelechy'.
Food for thought.

[marak-dczc]

Great video, this is definitely the clearest explanation on eudaimonia I have come across, I hadn't heard about cyrenaicism before which was interesting too.

[cherpa]

"To do is to be" -Nietzche
"To be is to do" -Kant
"Do be do be Do" - Sinatra

[BMTroubleU]

Every time you say 'eu di mon ee ah' it's like nails on a chalk board for me.
Maybe I'm wrong, but when I first learnt about the words pronunciation it was sounded out in a much more pleasing way to me - eu di moan ee ah. Sounding like eutopia.

[NecroGd]

There are sheep who have been programed to believe success is a measurement of education, money, and fame whilst a few of us exist who know what success REALLY is.
Success comes from within and is only the aforementioned if you want it to be. For me, success is being happy and making other people happy. For me success is not giving up and letting this world turn you sour. For me success is maintaining this mentality.
Maybe money, education, and fame are your version of success, but I am here to tell you that is not what everyone calls success and your opinion of other peoples success has no value to their measurement of success as it comes from within.
Others do not dictate your success. Remember that.
Money = the root of all evil
Education = only good if you know how to apply it and actually do so.
Fame = A bigger circle. A wise man once said keep your circle small and close.

[Ccm]

Regardless of what we do in life.. The goal is to execute the four stoic virtues of Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom. The result of exercising these virtues is unlimited state of happiness. In our modern world it's either we are motivated by cowardice, lust or envy. It's not about the possession of external thing that matter, it's about what kind of virtues we exercise towards that external objects.

[logilo]

Hello, I must say I enjoy your lessons very much. I decided to do my seminar (25 pg) on Eudaimonia vs Hadonia happiness from Aristotle point of view and according to Apicors . I am in lost how to find assays about the two. I find on each one by itself but cannot find an article that combines the two prespectiv. I would be more than grateful to get some articles on the topic.
Much oblige. Lei

[Teekles]

To me it feels like a moth escaping the web of a spider at the last possible moment after struggling furiously expecting death. Figuring out that every bit of brainpower spent for the last decade on a noble pursuit turns out to be worth it. In the spirit of life, here's a poem I wrote:

To be witty and to have a laugh
a bit of speech without a gaffe
To say in the moment what one usually only conceives of after
the righteous sounds of a scorned class, howling out in laughter
against the grain, but somehow still perfect
A risky choice taken
that turns out to be worth it
A poem for ones heroes that lasts forever
a never before seen bird that drops its feather
Something exciting that brings one to hope
Two lovers leaving, off to elope

Life without wonder is not worth the plunder
A birthday without cake, why bother being awake
Given the options, a choice for us all
Chase the excitement, no worries to fall

[RustyWalker]

One of the interesting ideas about eudaimonia is that events can still affect it after your death.
The Epicureans weren't hedonists as we use the word "epicure" today. If I recall, it was about pleasure within one's means but not if it incurs a greater cost. If I buy a vintage, collectable wine today and drink it, sure I'll enjoy it, but I'll then be sad that I can't buy that wine and enjoy it again, or I can't maintain that lifestyle due to both health impacts, and cost.
(And yes, I'll rewatch those videos).
"Virtus" also loses quite a bit of meaning in translation.

[paxdriver]

I consider it closer to being translated as "sustained fulfillment", the pervasive sense of well-being as opposed to momentary or acute instances of joy it's the extended state of joy from fulfillment rather than objects or moments. Like knowing I regular donate vs a moment of charity feeling good in that instance or for that individual deed.

The goal is that sustained behavioural fulfillment rather than counting the things that are good and adding them together.

[Nickvdwal]

damn so even Eudaimonia has a different meaning to some people this is the best video about Eudaimonia so far.

[Naijiri.]

Right as I am at the beginning of the _The Republic_, nice. Good video.

[Landofalcon]

Somewhere between Aristotle and the Stoics. They both had great points.

[guillatra]

Is there a difference between goal and meaning of life? I still don't understand what a meaning of life should be. A function? An ideal which can be used to accuse people of not spending one's life time properly? A byproduct of our reason-seeking mind?