Human Flourishing: Perspectives on Happiness

• Human flourishing is the topic presented by Group 4
• Consider what makes you happy

Happiness According To

• Psychologists define happiness as a mental or emotional state of well-being. It includes positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
• Behaviorists see happiness as a cocktail of emotions experienced when doing something good or positive.
• Neurologists view happiness as a flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward for behavior that prolongs survival.
• Hedonists consider well-being as the polar opposite of suffering, where happiness indicates the absence of pain. They believe the purpose of life is to maximize happiness, thus minimizing misery.

Aristotle's Definition of Happiness

• "Happiness depends upon ourselves."
• Happiness is the purpose and meaning of life, termed "Eudaimonia".

Eudaimonia

• Eudaimonia combines the Greek words for "good" and "spirit" to describe the ideology. Encompassing the concept of human flourishing, it's the ultimate goal of living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
• Means achieving the best conditions possible for a human being and seeking happiness, virtue, morality, and a meaningful life.
• According to Nicomachean Ethics, it arises from components like phronesis, friendship, wealth, and power,
• Eudaimonia is not simply euphoria from a spur of the moment.
• It's the total worth of your life, measuring how well you've lived up to this point. Only at the end can you say you've lived a good life.

Eastern and Western Conceptions

• Conceptions regarding society and human flourishing differ between Eastern and Western views.

Western View

• Individualistic
• Follows the Aristotelian view
• Rationalism
• Self-actualism
• Independent

Eastern View

• Collectivism:
• Spiritual
• Social duty
• Holistic
• Interdependent

Eastern Philosophy on Human Flourishing

Confucianism

• Confucius emphasizes that human flourishing is grounded in the virtues of living in a community that shares the commitment to ethical self-cultivation.

Hinduism

• Hinduism's ideology of human flourishing is tied to reaching Nirvana, also known as moksha or freedom.

Eudaimonia in the Modern World

• Today's concept of human flourishing differs from Aristotle's original perception.
• Today, humans are expected to become "men of the world".
• It is important situate oneself in a global neighborhood to reach a common goal.
• Competition as a means of survival has become passé.
• Coordination is presented as the new trend.

Science, Technology, and Human Flourishing

Science as a Method and Result

• A prevalent theme is humanity's need to locate itself in the world by finding proofs to trace evolution.
• The ends of science, technology, and human flourishing are related because the good is inherently related to the truth.
• Martin Heidegger stated, "Technology is a human activity that we excel in as a result of achieving science".

Verification Theory

• A group of 20th-century scientists formed the 'Vienna Circle' who share the belief that only what can be observed is meaningful, while what cannot be observed is meaningless.
• If things are not observable, they should be rejected or cannot be accepted.

Falsification Theory

• Scientific theories should be evaluated based on if they can be falsified.
• Instead of seeking to prove a claim, look for proof that it's false.
• This helps distinguish true science from pseudoscience
• Karl Popper developed falsification theory

Science and Result

• People who don't understand science are convinced when the discipline produces results.
• Similar to when Jesus performed miracles, people are sold on science's capacity to do things they can't fully comprehend.
• Communities without access to science may turn to divination and superstition, achieving similar results.
• Blind trust can be created; uneducated individuals may unknowingly accept claims, highlighting the need for people to

Science and Result

• Science is not entirely foolproof, illustrated by the fallibility and limitations of weather reports and their inability to predict disasters.
• The best course during upcoming disasters is to reinforce materials to be more calamity-proof and restore the area upon impact.
• Science does not monopolize the claim for definite results.

Science as Social Endeavor

• Science is cooperative and vast, and has expanded beyond lab-coated scientists seeking to uncover the truth.
• Philosophers like Paul Thagard, Imre Lakatos, Helen Longino, David Bloor, and Richard Rorty presented alternative demarcations exploring the social dimension of science and technology.

Philosopher Exploration

• Imre Lakatos, a Hungarian philosopher of science, contributed to exploring the social dimension of science through his concept of "scientific research program".
• Richard Rorty, an American philosopher, used pragmatism to explore the social dimension of science and technology; challenging the idea that knowledge is a mental representation of the world and arguing that knowledge is linguistic and internal.
• David Bloor studies the social dimension of scientific knowledge, encompassing the effect of scientific research on human life and social relations.
• Helen Longino, an American philosopher, has helped establish a feminist perspective on the role of values and social interactions in science.
• Paul Thagard utilizes computational models to analyze how social factors like emotions, values, and community dynamics influence scientific discovery and development of technology.

Science as Education

• Science is not defined by a singular method but a collective variety of procedures that scientists can experiment with to get results.
• If pursuing human flourishing, it's best to pursue it holistically because mastering science and technology is inadequate if we don't socialize or ruminate on our inner selves.
• Aristotle's eudaimonia person must be knowledgeable about science and possess virtues that enable them to determine truth from falsehood and good reasoning from poor reasoning.

How Much is Too Much?

• Modern human inventions may be convenient, but our creations will damage the world in the long run.

• With a growing population and scarce resources, letting nature recover resources would benefit everyone.

• As Joseph Hickel suggested, developed countries should not push for more growth but adopt "de-development."

• Instead of pushing poorer countries forward, rich countries should "catch down."