Although a ballpark translation of eudaimonia is "happiness," Aristotle’s concept differs in significant ways from our general understanding of what it means to be happy. What are the crucial differences? What is the relationship between contemplation and eudaimonia? Of what value is contemplation to our overall happiness?

The crucial difference is that for eudaimonia, happiness is the end of human actions. However, our general concept of happiness states that happiness is a feeling of being at a certain moment.

The relationship between eudaimonia and contemplation is that eudaimonia is the result of contemplation, generating happiness as a feeling of pleasure, virtue and glory.

Contemplation has the primary value in our happiness, since it is the main ingredient of happy life.

Explanation:

Eudaimonia expresses the meaning of full happiness, something that we all seek and desire for our lives. For Aristoteles, this happiness was the result of the end of human actions, that is, if we start an activity looking for pleasure, we will only reach that pleasure in the end and that pleasure will bring us happiness.

In this reasoning, Aristoteles defended the concept of contemplation as the main ingredient of happiness. This is because only through a contemplative life is it possible to discover which actions and which paths will lead us to full happiness, providing us with a pleasant life, with dignity, honor and glory.