Book 7 / Chapter 13
Paragraph 4 - The Role of Pleasure in the Happy Life
Explanation - Part By Part
"It is evident also that if pleasure, i.e. the activity of our faculties, is not a good, it will not be the case that the happy man lives a pleasant life; for to what end should he need pleasure, if it is not a good but the happy man may even live a painful life?"
Aristotle is making an important point here about the connection between happiness and pleasure. He is arguing that if pleasure (which he defines as the active use or functioning of our abilities or “faculties”) is not inherently a good thing, then it wouldn’t make sense to associate happiness with a pleasant life. In simpler terms, if pleasure had no value, why would a truly happy person seek it or need it as part of their life at all?
More than that, Aristotle is challenging the idea of how happiness would function without pleasure. If pleasure is not good, then it opens the door for the possibility that a "happy" person could actually live a life filled with pain or discomfort, which seems contradictory. He’s asking us to think carefully: how could someone be truly happy if their life lacks pleasurable activity or, worse, is dominated by painful experiences?
Aristotle’s view ties happiness, pleasure, and the natural functioning of human abilities together as interconnected, rather than treating pleasure as something irrelevant to the ideal life.
"For pain is neither an evil nor a good, if pleasure is not; why then should he avoid it?"
Aristotle is making a radical point here: if pleasure is not considered inherently good, then by the same reasoning, pain cannot be considered inherently bad. In other words, if we dismiss pleasure as irrelevant to the happy life, then avoiding pain also becomes meaningless. Why? Because pain and pleasure are opposites—if one holds no moral or value significance, the other logically holds none either. Essentially, if pleasure doesn't contribute to living well, then there would be no compelling reason to steer away from pain. Aristotle is using this argument to challenge the idea that pleasure and pain are insignificant to achieving the "good life" or happiness.
"Therefore, too, the life of the good man will not be pleasanter than that of any one else, if his activities are not more pleasant."
Aristotle is saying here that if pleasure isn't considered inherently good, then the life of a virtuous or "good" man won't necessarily be more enjoyable or fulfilling than the life of anyone else. The reason for this is that the pleasantness of someone's life is tied to the activities they engage in. If a good person’s actions or pursuits aren't genuinely more enjoyable or fulfilling than someone else's, there wouldn’t be anything particularly special or "better" about their life compared to others.
Essentially, Aristotle challenges the idea that living a moral or virtuous life could still feel meaningful or rewarding if we entirely dismiss pleasure as good. For him, how pleasant and meaningful your activities are is deeply tied to the kind of life you live.