MODULE 6 – THE GOOD LIFE

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:

1. explain the concept of the good life as posited by Aristotle;

2. define the good life in their own words; and
3. examine shared concerns that make up the good life to come up with innovative and creative
solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical standards.

MODULE OUTLINE:

Introduction
Nicomachean Ethics and Modern Concepts
Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life
Different Schools of Thought

Introduction

In Ancient Greece, long before the word “science” has been coined, the need to
understand the world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and the good
life. For Plato, the task of understanding the things in the world runs parallel with the job of truly
getting into what will make the soul flourish. In an attempt to understand reality and the external
world, man must seek to understand himself, too. It was Aristotle who gave a definitive
distinction between the theoretical and practical sciences. Among the theoretical disciplines,
Aristotle included logic, biology, physics, and metaphysics, among others. Among the practical
ones, Aristotle counted ethics and politics. Whereas “truth” is the aim of the theoretical sciences,
the “good” is the end goal of the practical ones. Every attempt to know is connected in some way
in an attempt to find the “good” or the attainment of human flourishing.

Nicomachean Ethics and Modern Concepts

Aristotle, an important ancient Greek philosopher whose work spans from natural
philosophy to logic and political theory, attempted to explain what the good is. In Nicomachean
Ethics, Aristotle stated:

All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every
action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has been rightly
declared as that at which all things aim (Nicomachean Ethics 2:2).

Everyone is moving towards the good. Thus, completing one’s studies, training for a
sport, or taking a rest is a good. The good is expressed and manifested in many various ways for
different persons and circumstances. The good life, however, is more than these countless
expressions of what is good. It is characterized by happiness that springs from living and doing
well.

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 … both the many and the cultivated call it happiness, and suppose that living well and
doing well are the same as being happy (Nicomachean Ethics 1:4).

The ancient Greeks called this concept of “living well and doing well” as eudaimonia.
The word came from the Greek word eu meaning “good” and daimon meaning “spirit.” Taken
together, it generally refers to the good life, which is marked by happiness and excellence. It is a
flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human person to be the best
version of himself/herself. If one is a student, then he/she acts to be the best version of a student
by studying well and fulfilling the demands of school.

Furthermore, according to Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate end of human action. It is

that which people pursue for its own sake. Financial stability for one’s family, the power
achieved from winning the elections, or the harmony and peace as a reward for taking care of the
environment - all these and more are pursued for the sake of happiness.

Now such a thing as happiness above all else, is held to be; for this we choose always for
itself and never for the sake of something else, but honor, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we
choose indeed for themselves, but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that by
means of them we shall be happy. Happiness, on the other hand, no one chooses for anything
other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7).

Happiness defines a good life. This happiness, however, is not the kind that comes from
sensate pleasures. It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence,
manifested from the personal to the global scale.

It is the activities that express virtue that control happiness, and the contrary activities
that control its contrary (Nicomachean Ethics 1:10).

For example, making sure that one avoids sugary and processed foods to keep healthy is
an activity that expresses virtue. The resulting health adds to one’s well-being and happiness.
Another example is taking care of the environment through proper waste management which
results in a clean environment and adds to people’s well-being and happiness. These virtuous
actions require discipline and practice. On the other hand, activities contrary to virtue are those
which do not result in happiness. The lack of discipline in eating healthful food eventually makes
one sick. The lack of concern for the environment destroys the Earth we live in. Thus, disregard
for virtuous actions, especially for the sake of convenience and gratification, does not contribute
to happiness. The good life is marked by happiness brought about by virtuous human actions and
decisions that affect the individual self and the greater community. It is characterized by a life of
flourishing of oneself and of others.

Virtue plays a significant role in the living and attainment of the good life. It is the
constant practice of the good no matter how difficult the circumstances may be. Virtue is the
excellence of character that empowers one to do and be good. Such virtue is cultivated with habit
and discipline as it is not a one-time deed, but a constant and consistent series of actions.
Everyone has the capacity within himself/herself to be good, but he/she also has to be disciplined
to make a habit of exercising the good.

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 Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue is the main
owes its birth and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time), while
moral virtue comes about as a result of habit (Nicomachean Ethics 2:1).

The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards the good
life. Science and technology are one of the highest expressions of human faculties. They allow us
to thrive and flourish in life if we so desire it. Science and technology may also corrupt a person,
but grounding oneself in virtue will help him/her steer clear of danger.

Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life

In the 18th century, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle by saying
that an action is right as far as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the greatest number
of people. At a time when people were skeptical about claims on the metaphysical, people could
not make sense of the human flourishing that Aristotle talked about in the days of old. Mill said
that individual happiness of each individual should be prioritized and collectively dictates the
kind of action that should be endorsed. When an action benefits the greatest number of people,
said action is deemed ethical.

The ethical is, of course, meant to lead us to the good and happy life. Through the ages,
man has constantly struggled with the external world in order to reach human flourishing.
History has given birth to different schools of thought, all of which aim for the good and happy
life.

Different Schools of Thought

Materialism

The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece. Democritus and Leucippus led
a school whose primary belief is that the world is made up of and is controlled by the tiny
invisible units in the world called atomos or seeds. For Democritus and his disciples, the world,
including human beings, is made up of matter. There is no need to posit immaterial entities as
sources of purpose. Atomos simply comes together randomly to form the things in the world. As
such, only material entities matter. In terms of human flourishing, matter is what makes us attain
happiness. We see this at work with most people who are clinging on to material wealth as the
primary source of the meaning of their existence.

Hedonism

The hedonists, for their part, see the end goal of life in acquiring pleasure. Pleasure has
always been the priority of hedonists. For them, life is about obtaining and indulging in pleasure
because life is limited. The mantra of this school of thought is the famous, “Eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die.” Led by Epicurus, this school of thought also does not buy any
notion of afterlife just like the materialists.

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Stoicism

Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the stoics espoused the idea that to generate
happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The original term, apatheia,
precisely means to be indifferent. For the stoics, happiness can only be attained by a careful
practice of apathy. We should, in this worldview, adopt the fact that some things are not within
our control. The sooner we realize this, the happier we can become.

Theism

Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as a fulcrum of their existence.
The Philippines, as a predominantly Catholic country, is witness to how people base their life
goals on beliefs that hinged on some form of supernatural reality called heaven. The ultimate
basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God. The world where we are in is only just
a temporary reality where we have to maneuver around while waiting for the ultimate return to
the hands of God.

Humanism

Humanism as another school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his own
destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God that monitors and controls.
For humanists, man is literally the captain of his own ship. Inspired by the enlightenment in
seventeenth century, humanists see themselves not merely as stewards of the creation but as
individuals who are in control of themselves and the world outside them. This is the spirit of
most scientists who thought that the world is a place and space for freely unearthing the world in
seeking for ways on how to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

As a result of the humanist current, scientists eventually turned to technology in order to

ease the difficulty of life. Scientists of today meanwhile are ready to confront more sophisticated
attempts at altering the world for the benefit of humanity. Some people now are willing to
tamper with time and space in the name of technology. Social media, as an example, has been so
far a very effective way of employing technology in purging time and space. Now,
communication between two people wherever they are, is not just possible but easy. The Internet
and smart phones made real-time communication possible not just between two people, but even
with multiple people simultaneously.

Technology allowed us to tinker with our sexuality. Biologically male individuals can
now undergo medical operation if they so wish for sexual reassignment. Breasts implants are
now available and can be done with relative convenience if anyone wishes to have one.
Hormones may also be injected in order to alter the sexual chemicals in the body.

Whether or not we agree with these technological advancements, these are all undertaken
in the hopes of attaining the good life. The balance, however, between the good life, ethics, and
technology has to be attained.

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