ABSTRACT
A certain degree of physical comfort and support, along with good health, provided important preconditions, but the main emphasis was different. In working to clarify this distinction, Greek thinkers established one of the first attempts to define a field of knowledge around the nature and achievement of happiness. Rational capacity is what constitutes the human essence, and perfecting that capacity is the core of happiness. Aristotle’s greatest achievement, though clearly building on his predecessors, was to establish happiness and its achievement as a central philosophical goal and to distinguish it from merely physical satisfaction. The other main philosophical school that passed from the Greeks to the Romans, the Stoics, even more obviously urged the importance of limiting desire. The Confucian approach also involved deep connections with other people. Greek and Roman writers had also placed great emphasis on the importance of friendship, but the centrality of interactions with others was arguably even stronger in the Confucian system.
