How Can We Get Happiness?

Hence, is Happiness a thing that can be learned?

Or can it be acquired by habituation or discipline of some other kind?

Or does it come from divine dispensation? Or does it come by the way of chance?

It is probable that Happiness is a gift of the Gods. This is because it is the highest of all human goods.

But this, it may be, is a question belonging more properly to an investigation different from ours:[27]

There is a supposition that Happiness is not sent from the Gods directly. Instead, it comes to us by reason of virtue and learning of a certain kind, or discipline. Yet, it is one of the most Godlike things.

This is because the prize and End of virtue is manifestly somewhat most excellent, nay divine and blessed.

It will also on this supposition be widely participated, for it may through learning and diligence of a certain kind exist in all who have not been maimed[28] for virtue.

And if it is better we should be happy thus than as a result of chance, this is in itself an argument that the case is so; because those things which are in the way of nature, and in like manner of art, and of every cause, and specially the best cause, are by nature in the best way possible: to leave them to chance what is greatest and most noble would be very much out of harmony with all these facts.[29]

The question may be determined also by a reference to our definition of Happiness, that it is a working of the soul in the way of excellence or virtue of a certain kind: and of the other goods, some we must have to begin with, and those which are co-operative and useful are given by nature as instruments.[30]

These considerations will harmonise also with what we said at the commencement: for we assumed the End of πολιτικὴ to be most excellent: now this bestows most care on making the members of the community of a certain character; good that is and apt to do what is honourable.

With good reason then neither ox nor horse nor any other brute animal do we call happy, for none of them can partake in such working:

For this same reason a child is not happy either, because by reason of his tender age he cannot yet perform such actions: if the term is applied, it is by way of anticipation.

For to constitute Happiness, there must be complete virtue and a complete life:

Many changes and chances of all kinds arise during a life, and he who is most prosperous may become involved in great misfortunes in his old age, as in the heroic poems the tale is told of Priam:

But the man who has experienced such fortune and died in wretchedness, no man calls happy.