The ancient Greek philosopher Plato was born in Greece (424BC - 348BC). He founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. As many of his contemporaries, and as stated in The Republic, Plato viewed moral as being central to happiness. For him, to be happy, an immoral person would have to first become moral by developing the four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice.Wisdom refers to developing the mind and applying acquired knowledge to every day life. As for courage, Plato refers to it as being visible on the battlefield, but he also defines it as the ability to live according to your convictions. That is one of the reasons why he greatly admired his mentor and teacher, Socrates, who stood by his beliefs, even when faced with death. Temperance is about self-control and avoiding excessive behaviours.
For Plato, justice holds an important place in moral virtue and therefore, in happiness. It is justice that shows the overall character of an individual. He believes that happy people are just and just people are happy.
So happiness, or to be closer to the English translation of the Greek word 'eudemonia', human flourishing, is a result of a healthy soul, which comes from living according to moral virtue.
People do not always seek to be virtuous because they do not realize that moral virtue creates happiness. The choices of excess, the thirst for power and money is often mistakingly perceived as potentially providing happiness. Human nature is such that people don't always make the healthiest choices, whether it is in regards to their physical, psychologically or spiritual health.
"Self-conquest is the greatest of victories."
Plato
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