EXTERNAL GOODS AND HAPPINESS: ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF PRACTISING HIGH VIRTUE WITHOUT ABUNDANT MEANS

Abstract

The discourse on the relationship between religion and politics is a pertinent one for Christians. State-Church relations affect the practice of the Christian life. Politics is concerned with political leadership and the material development and distribution of resources. Religion is concern with issues of faith and moral; the life of virtue in society. To live lives of holiness and the practice of the virtues, people need a certain amount of external goods. These external goods are secured through good governance, good leadership and authentic development. Aristotle teaches us that the possession of external goods is necessary to the happy life. He says ‘a certain prosperity is by moral fitness, not be logical necessity, attached to the happy man.’ He is certain that ‘it is impossible’ or ‘not easy’ to practice the high virtues without an abundant of means. The reason being that ‘many good deeds are done by the instrumentality of friends, wealth and political power; and of some things the absence is a cloud on happiness.’ It is therefore necessary that Christians be fully involved in politics so that they can permeate politics with the spirit of the beatitudes and ensure that resources are used in a way that promote the flourishing of the Christian life.