Final answer:
Plato, as interpreted by Aristotle, argues that finding pleasure and pain in the right objects necessitates a strong grasp of virtues and proper education. This involves turning away from deceptive sensory experiences to understand true Forms. Eudaimonia, or flourishing, is achieved through cultivating virtues, not purely by pursuing pleasure.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Plato, quoted by his student Aristotle, for man to find pleasure and pain in the right objects requires proper education and the cultivation of virtue. Plato's allegory of the cave, as depicted in his work 'The Republic,' suggests that enlightenment or the appreciation of true Forms comes with difficulty and initially pain, as the mind resists letting go of the familiar shadows for the reality of the light. In this philosophical framework, pleasure and pain are navigated through an understanding of their proper objects, influenced by the theory that virtues align us with the ultimate reality, beyond the deceiving senses.
Aristotle, building on Plato’s ethics, believed that eudaimonia or human flourishing is the ultimate purpose of life, and that pleasure should serve this end. Pleasure and pain, according to Aristotle, should be assessed through the lens of virtue ethics where the right habits and moral character guide one towards true happiness. This philosophical stance contrasts hedonistic views, such as those proposed by Epicurus, where pleasure and the absence of pain (ataraxia) are seen as the highest form of well-being.