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Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being pp 109–122Cite as

Eudaimonia as a Way of Living: Connecting Aristotle with Self-Determination Theory

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Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life ((IHQL))

Abstract

The chapter starts with a discussion of eudaimonia as originally used by Aristotle and his contemporaries. We argue that eudaimonia should not be understood as referring to any kind of subjective experience or ‘richer feeling of happiness’ but is rather about a good and valued way of living that can produce happiness, vitality and wellness as its byproducts. Furthermore, eudaimonia is especially found in those manners of living and pursuits that reflect our positive human nature. Based on self-determination theory, we then suggest a number of ways of living that we see as good candidates for an eudaimonic way of living: pursuing intrinsic goals, living autonomously, being mindful, and being benevolent. We review evidence showing how these ways of living seem to lead to enhanced wellness for human beings, and accordingly we see these as modern answers for the Aristotelian call to find intrinsically worthwhile ways of living.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This is perhaps most strikingly demonstrated when Solon claims that the eudaimonia of a man can only be settled after his death (Herodotus 1.32), and when Aristotle ponders whether a dishonor befalling a dead person can still alter that person’s eudaimonia (Aristotle, 2012, pp. 18–19). These remarks would be very strange to make about eudaimonia as a fleeting subjective state, but make more sense when we see eudaimonia as an evaluation of one’s life as a whole.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Richard M. Ryan

  2. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Frank Martela

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  1. Richard M. Ryan
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  2. Frank Martela
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Joar Vittersø

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Ryan, R.M., Martela, F. (2016). Eudaimonia as a Way of Living: Connecting Aristotle with Self-Determination Theory. In: Vittersø, J. (eds) Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42445-3_7

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