This essay is over Aristotle

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According to Aristotle, the noblest virtue is contemplative. One reason he gives for this is the self-sufficiency of the contemplative life. Explain.
Aristotle brings out the idea of self- dependency through leading a contemplative life by using several illustrations. Among the key examples he uses while establishing his theory, is the description of the concept of virtue in connection to the soul of a human being. He distinguishes the human soul into three types that include the desiring soul, the nutritive soul as well as the rational soul. According to the rationale used by Aristotle, the soul is very critical in the human life because it is the defining element that differentiates human beings from other living things. The uniqueness of the soul sets us apart from other earthy creatures and thus serves as the function of life. Aristotle argues that happiness is an association with only those people who desire in themselves but not those who look desirable due to other causes because joy is in itself self-sufficient (Hardie 58).
Further, Aristotle asserts that the concept of pleasure comprises of two classifications that includes good pleasure as well as bad pleasure. These dissimilar types do not exist in equilibrium with each other because human beings will not accept particular lifestyles regardless of the amount of happiness they bring upon them. Aristotle notes that the fulfillment of pleasure is a product of a continuous process, which in real life is not pragmatic.

It is therefore impossible to attain joy in life as Aristotle argues. By combining the concepts of virtue, pleasure and the function of man, we can be able to formulate a habitual understanding of the theory by Aristotle (Hardie 58). Typically, happiness is equivalent to activity and virtue, and thus, the highest virtue must result in maximum contentment. According to Aristotle, rationality is the most significant attribute gifted to human beings and therefore contemplative life is the best life ever any human being can experience (Hardie 58).
Aristotle would express complete ridicule of the American idea that happiness is a ‘matter of personal opinion.’ He would argue that the very idea that consumerism can bring happiness is nonsense. Why?
One of the main ways of promoting consumerism is through advertising, which has a negative impact on the psychology of the viewer as it only leads to more confusion. This impact occurs because these adverts leave us with the desire for acquisition of more things and lead to the development of a feeling that our lives may not be as fulfilling as we may want them to be. This feeling develops a sense of dissatisfaction among the lives of viewers. The misconception that argues that consumerism brings about satisfaction as well as a sense of contentment is baseless and is a part of the intense campaign undertaken by the political machine in the US aimed at relentlessly pushing for the continuation of economic growth. Advocates claim that consumerism is essential for the wellbeing of an individual.
On the contrary, increase in consumption and expansion leads to accumulation of debts by individuals who are then forced to work for extra hours to sustain their lifestyle (Hardie 54). They end up staying away from their families and close relatives, which leads to neglect of the other essential responsibilities of adult life. Increased human activity due to consumerism has a negative impact on the environment as well. This effect enhances human activity leading to environmental pollution due to increase in the usage of industrial chemicals. Further, it also leads to increased deposition of garbage in the oceanic environment, which endangers the life of the marine living organisms (Hardie 58). The enormous amount of fossil fuels burnt as well as deforestation due to consumerism has a negative impact on the climate change leading to global warming. In fact, consumerism has an adverse effect even on the availability of clean water and supply of food substances.
Work Cited
Hardie, William. Aristotle’s ethical theory. Amazon (1981): 54, 58. https://www.amazon.com/Aristotles-Ethical-Theory-W-Hardie/dp/0198246331