What is leisure for the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle?
As mentioned above, for Aristotle leisure is not just relaxation, nor is it recreation or the mere pursuit of pleasure.
However, we need to be careful in our assessments and definitions (as good philosophers do) since leisure can include relaxation, recreation and pleasure. What Aristotle was really saying was that leisure does not have an end or purpose in relaxation, recreation or pleasure.
What did he mean by that? He meant that leisure is an end in itself, while recreation and relaxation are means to getting back to other work; and pleasure is a part of leisure but not its ultimate purpose.
Therefore, leisure is something distinct, and in classical Greece, it was the time for thinking and this took the form of special schooling for the youth (liberal arts) and the practice of philosophy and politics in adulthood.
A very important point to note is that for Aristotle, leisure and everything about the good life was lived in community, in a city and as a functioning member of that city. Aristotle did not recommend living alone in the wild, or trying to carve out a new path of life, but instead thought the best lives were to be lived in community and in a sense of solidarity.
