response to those who claim that ignorant people can have happy lives, I believe Plato and Aristotle would agree that an ignorant person could believe he or she is living a happy life, but that this person is not truly happy. Like the prisoners in Plato’s allegory of the cave, the ignorant person lives in a reality based on images and deception, rather than a reality based on true understanding. Aristotle’s stance is somewhat different in that he comprehends non-virtuous actions as a failure to use knowledge rather than as an indication of ignorance. However, both philosophers contend that the life of contemplation is more virtuous, and thus happier.Finally, concerning the role of human choice in the arguments of Plato and Aristotle on happiness, one could take the approach that both philosophers imply that without a certain degree of good fortune, happiness cannot be attained. For some, this implication would produce many objections, as a strong case for the possibility of happiness under even the most unfortunate circumstances could be made. Admittedly, Plato does assert that not everyone is suited to attaining an understanding of the good. However, his view on this issue is based in the theory that acting virtuously has a lot to do with the type of life you led in the past. He argues that people desire to correct the errors they made in previous lives. Therefore, leading a just life and achieving happiness is not as much a matter of good fortune as it is a matter of a kind of moral progression throughout each of one’s lives. This principle is described in the Republic using a story, called the Myth of Er, in which a man dies and then returns to Earth to tell of his experiences in the afterworld.9 I believe the Aristotelian point of view would maintain a weaker defense in this debate. Aristotle feels that certain aspects of good fortune, such as a good upbringing and a good education, are only starting p...
