Good Life PDF

GOOD LIFE The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination. -Carl Rogers What do you want out of life?  Everyone is in pursuit of good life. We do certain things because we want to achieve a life which wil...

GOOD LIFE The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination. -Carl Rogers What do you want out of life?  Everyone is in pursuit of good life. We do certain things because we want to achieve a life which will make us happy and content.  Aristotle- ancient Greek philosopher “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.” -Nichomachean Ethics 2:2  Everyone is moving towards the good. The good is expressed and manifested in many various ways for different persons and circumstances. 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. Furthermore, according to Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate end of human actions. It is that which people pursue for its own sake.  Happiness defines a good life. It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence, manifested from the personal to the global scale. 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. 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 good life is marked by happiness brought about by virtuous human actions and decisions that affect the individual self and the greater community. The good life does not happen in a bubble where only one person is flourishing; others have to be in it, too. Virtue plays a significant role in the living and attainment of the good life. It is the excellence of character that empowers one to do and be good. 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.  The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards the good life. S & T 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.  Chapter Activity Reflect on the question below. Provide the possible explanation for Answering YES and NO. Should we stop doing science? Scientific research may lead to benefits and advances, but they seem to go hand-in-hand with death and destruction. Should we quit while we’re ahead? YES we should stop doing science because… NO we should not stop doing science because …  Scoring 3 points- Question is left bland or incomplete 7 points- Response includes an answer, but does not include any or includes only very minimal reasoning or rationale (regardless of correctness) 10 points- Response includes an answer and reasoning or rationale (regardless of correctness)