What is the real nature of Happiness?

But calling Happiness as the Chief Good might be a mere truism. What is the real nature of Happiness?

This can be answered by knowing what is the purpose of man.

The Chief Good and Excellence of:

• a flute-player is his flute music
• sculptor is his sculpture

Their Chief Good and Excellence resides in their work.

A carpenter and cobbler have certain works and courses of action.

• The work of a harp-player is to play the harp
• The work of a good harp-player is to play it well

But what is Man’s purpose?

• It cannot mere life, because that is shared by plants.
• It cannot mere sensation, because that is shared by animals.

Man’s purpose is to act in the Rational Nature.

Man’s purpose is to live with reason.

A good man lives with reason well and nobly.

Let this then be taken for a rough sketch of the Chief Good.

Anyone may improve and connect what is good in the sketch.

Time is a good discoverer and co-operator in such matters.

The carpenter and geometer enquire into the right line in a different way.

• The carpenter enquires so he can use it for his work
• The geometer enquires into its nature and properties, because he is concerned with the truth.

You must not ask for the reason for everything.

It is enough that the fact has been well demonstrated in order to arrive at the first principles.

Of these first principles:

• some are obtained by induction
• some are obtained by perception
• some are obtained by a course of habituation
• some are obtained in other different ways.

We must try to trace up each in their own nature, and take pains to secure their being well defined, because they have great influence on what follows.

The starting-point or principle is more than half the whole matter.

Many of the points of enquiry come simultaneously into view thereby.