Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) On Happiness Happiness as a rational, virtous activity  Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) was one of the most important philosophers in the history of Western philosophy. He was born in Macedonia, was a pupil of Plato, and later was a tutor of Alexander the Great. His writings are systematic, covering most aspects of reality and life. They exerted a tremendous influence on the history of philosophy. The following passages are adapted from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, an...