The Theoretical Overlap of “Flow” and Eudaimonia Public
Segal, Ari (Spring 2025)
Abstract
When Aristotle's notion of Eudaimonia is translated simply as happiness, there may be a false equivalency between Eudaimonia and Csikszentmihalyi's conception of "flow" as described in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990). However, these terms are not identical, as Eudaimonia has a normative connotation that Csikszentmihalyi's concept of “flow” lacks. This does not mean, however, that “flow” may not be a component of a Eudaimonic life. In certain scenarios, “flow” may very well be an experience enjoyed by someone who is living a Eudaimonic life, especially given an Inclusivist (Pluralist) conception of the Good for humanity. Aristotle understood Eudaimonia as an account of a person’s life, while “Flow” encompasses a person’s transitory experience during certain types of activities. Csikszentmihalyi’s book builds upon decades of scholarship and research on what constitutes “flow” states or “optimal experiences.” Csikszentmihalyi’s account of "flow" can aid in reconceptualizing Eudaimonia for our modern purposes as we no longer occupy an Aristotelian world, nor do we accept his rigid teleology.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow” versus Aristotle’s Eudaimonia .........1
Chapter 2: Applying Aristotle’s ethics to today’s world ............................27
Chapter 3: Different views of the Chief Good in the Eudaimonic life .........45
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