The Impact of Aristotle's “Nicomachean Ethics” on Al-Farabi's Concept of Happiness

Abstract

The Impact of Aristotle's “Nicomachean Ethics” on Al-Farabi's Concept of Happiness
Rahma Abdel-Qader Abdel Hamid Dowidar
Department of Creed and Philosophy, Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies for Girls, Cairo, Egypt.
Email: rahmadwidar.1119@azhar.edu.eg
Abstract:
The present study aims at showing the impact of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics on Al-Farabi’s concept of happiness. It adopts a comparative analytical approach. Among the  most important conclusions arrived at by the study is that  the concept of happiness is the main goal of any  philosophical research; for example, Ibn Sina  links between the soul’s pursuit of perfection and reaching happiness, and no one can reach complete happiness unless he knows God.  As for Ibn Tufail, he thinks that a person must purify himself while obligating himself to keep thinking about Allah, and then he will attain ultimate happiness.  Ibn Rushd (Averroes) finds that what leads a person to happiness is the acquisition of knowledge, the attainment of every virtue called for by Sharia, and the abandonment of the vices which it forbids.Regarding Al-Farabi, he is influenced by Aristotle as both of them indicate that the purpose of happiness is reaching the greater good. They reject all theories on happiness. They agreed that man only reaches virtue when his actions are in accordance to intellect and logic and man should be concerned with knowledge and work as when he does good acts that are in accordance to virtue, he reaches happiness that will never turn into misery. They reach the following conclusions: happiness does not occur simultaneously; rather, man should seek it by his own will; happiness can increase and decrease; happiness exists not only in this world, but also in the hereafter; man should increase his virtuous deeds in this life to reach complete happiness in the afterlife.
Keywords: Nicomachean , Ethics, Happiness Theory, Al-Farabi , Aristotle.


 

Keywords

References

References:
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History

  • Receive Date: 08 January 2022
  • Revise Date: 03 February 2022
  • Accept Date: 03 March 2022

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