Nicomachean Ethics: The Good Life

• A good life is subjective and defined by individual standards.
• Science must be guided by an ethical basis independent of itself.

Nicomachean Ethics

• Authored by Aristotle (384-322 BC), a Greek philosopher and scientist.
• Aristotle was a student of Plato, who was a student of Socrates; they are known as the "Big Three of Greek Philosophy."
• The Nicomachean Ethics consists of 10 books.
• It originated as lecture notes written on scrolls when Aristotle taught at the Lyceum.
• It explores the nature of moral life and human happiness.
• It is useful for defining the good life.

Types of Good

• Instrumental good is a means to achieving something else.
• Intrinsic good, or ultimate good, is good in itself.

Ultimate Good

• Pleasure is an important human need, but it is transitory and does not encompass all aspects of life, so is not considered the ultimate good.
• Wealth is commonly used to achieve goals, but it is not self-sufficient and does not stop one from aiming for some other good, so is not considered the ultimate good.
• Fame and honor are based on the subjective views of others, so is not considered the ultimate good.

Eudaimonia

• Eudaimonia, or happiness, is the ultimate good, defined by "eu" (good) and "daimon" (spirit).
• It is human flourishing or prosperity, living well and doing well and transcends all aspects of life.
• It is uniquely human, achieved through a rationally directed life.
• Virtue and excellence are two hallmarks of Eudaimonia.

Aristotle's Tripartite Soul

• Plants have a non-rational, nutritive soul focused on growth, nutrition, and reproduction.
• Animals have a partly rational, sensitive soul focused on locomotion and perception.
• Humans have a rational soul that is theoretical and practical.

Arête

• Arête is a Greek term for "excellence of any kind" and also means "moral virtue."

Types of Virtue

• Intellectual virtue/virtue of though is achieved through education, time, and experience.
• Wisdom is a key intellectual virtue that guides ethical behavior.
• Understanding is an intellectual virtue gained from scientific endeavors and contemplation.
• Moral virtue/virtue of character is achieved through habitual practice.
• Generosity is a key moral virtue involving repeated unselfishness.
• Temperance is a moral virtue marked by resisting and foregoing every inviting opportunity.
• Courage is a moral virtue that is repeatedly exhibiting the proper action and emotional response in the face of danger.
• Intellectual and moral virtue should be in accordance with reason to achieve eudaimonia.
• Indifference to these virtues, motivated by convenience, pleasure, or satisfaction, leads away from eudaimonia.
• A balance between two extremes is a requisite of virtue.
• A good life is happiness brought about by living a virtuous life.
• Dismissing science and technology to improve human life is problematic, as is allowing it to dictate reason and action without regard for ethical and moral standards.

When Technology and Humanity Cross

• S. Romi Mukherjee is a senior lecturer who explained a human rights-based approach to science, technology, and development.
• A human rights-based approach places a concern for human rights at the heart of how the international community engages with global challenges.
• The UN Development Programme characterizes this approach as leading to better and more sustainable outcomes by addressing inequalities, discriminatory practices, and unjust power relations, which are often at the heart of development problems.
• This approach centers international human rights entitlements and claims of the people, and the corresponding obligations of the state, clarifying the purpose of capacity development.
• Science is a socially organized human activity that is value-laden and shaped by organizational structures and procedures.

Science and Technology Policies

• Science and technology policies must ensure safety, health, and livelihoods.
• They must include people's needs and priorities in development and environmental strategies.
• They must ensure people participate in decision-making that affects their lives and resources.

Useful Documents

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27) states that everyone has the right to participate in and benefit from scientific advances and be protected from scientific misuses. -The right to the benefits of science falls under the domain of culture.
• The UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers – 1974 (Article 4) states that all advances in scientific and technological knowledge should be geared towards the welfare of global citizens.
• Countries should integrate science and technology into policies for a more humane and just society.
• The UNESCO Declaration on the Use of Scientific Knowledge – 1994 (Article 33) aims to provide enhanced support for building adequate and evenly distributed scientific and technological capacity through education and research.
• The UNESCO Declaration encompasses pollution-free production, efficient resource use, biodiversity protection, and preventing brain drains.
• Human rights should be integral to achieving the ultimate good.
• Human rights protect the weak, poor, and vulnerable from the deficiencies and excesses of science and technology.
• Imposing a moral and ethical duty upon science and technology to protect and uphold human rights bridges the gap between poor and rich countries in tangible and intangible aspects.