Quite the timeless and timely concept is that of eudaemonia. A concept that’s been studied by many philosophers from early times. For the sake of unraveling the tangle of its comprehension, we will begin by “fragmenting” the word into its separate compounds: eu+daimōn, i.e good+spirit. According to Aristotle, eudaemonia represented a pleasant mental state, arising from the activity of the soul. A practical process, and at the same time a regulator of one’s behaviour during their lifetime. A fundamental asset, superior in value and self-contained, acquired through the imitation of life’s perfection -which, on the face of it, seems humanly impossible- without being entirely based on the stroke of luck.
However this asset does not simply stand as an ideal of ancient times, but as an attainable goal for the individual in their everyday life. It does not merely consist of a final destination, but instead, it constitutes a number of different destinations-personal goals. These goals are achieved through attempts at a systematic performance of virtuous deeds. Virtue is the driving force that encourages people to take action towards reaching excellence, and the skills that a person acquires during the process, arm them with the strength needed to battle the obstacles along the way, even their own self, in order to reach telos (purpose), the highest good of eudaemonia.
If there exists a term that can describe a person’s eudaemonia distinctly from the masses, this certainly is subjectivity. The heterogeneity in people’s characters and personal experiences that define them lead to the desire to fulfill different goals.Besides, the process of achieving these goals does not follow a predetermined model, which guarantees a certain success. Instead, each person carries out their own separate path, at the end of which is the conquest of eudaemonia. It should be pointed out that its acquisition is not an isolated incident nor does it have an age limit. Performing the right actions at the right time is the one that will act as a compass on the way to find it.
We must also highlight the fact that the concept of Eudaemonia is not the same as that of materialism, and that the satisfaction of material needs does not contribute to its conquest. On the contrary, Eudaemonia could be interpreted as an intricate and lucid feeling, which leads the person to a deeper inner harmony. The person is fully reconciled with their inner world and does not hesitate to pursue their dreams. Nowadays, many could consider such a scenario to be something utopian and elusive, but at the same time something coveted. Their thinking is justified… the road to happiness is difficult and requires great will and stubbornness so that one can reach the end. However, the journey leads to something unprecedented, to a deeper sense of peace and harmony within ourselves.
The speakers of this year’s TEDxAUTh share their own path to Eudaemonia. In this journey we will start first from Aretē, then we will cross the paths of Techne, to reach the coveted Telos. The quest for completion is a common feature in this year’s speeches, which will demonstrate the power of will and the value of eudaemonia as a supreme good. The words of the speakers will inspire and motivate us to intensify our efforts to improve, first of all, ourselves. For this reason, we have chosen “Eudaemonia” as the main theme of TEDxAUTh 2021. We will be very happy for you to follow our journey towards it and we promise that it will be worth it! What do you say? Should we start this journey?
Photography by Grigoris Lazaridis