The Good Life PDF

The good life Eudamonia : the ultimate good and Arěte : moral virtue “Not every person that is living the dream or the good life is actually living the good life”  Are we living a good life? Everyone aims to lead a good life. What constitute a happy and contented life varies f...

The good life Eudamonia : the ultimate good and Arěte : moral virtue “Not every person that is living the dream or the good life is actually living the good life”  Are we living a good life? Everyone aims to lead a good life. What constitute a happy and contented life varies from person to person Necessary reflection must be made on two things: 1. what standard could be used to define a good life? 2. how can the standard serve as a guide toward living a good life in the midst of scientific progress and technological advancement? Everyone has definition of what is good  Eudaimonia: the ultimate good What then is the ultimate good?  Pleasure-is an important human need for example pleasure in the food they eat or in the experience they immerse themselves into, yet it cannot be the ultimate good. First, it is transitory-it passes. Second it does not encompass all aspect of life. Ex. One may be pleased to travel but not may not make him feel good about leaving because of some things to consider.  What is the ultimate good?  Wealth- a potential candidate for the ultimate good. Most aim to be financially stable, to rich or to be able to afford a luxurious life. However it is common to hear people who become very wealthy but remain unhappy with their lives they lead. Wealth is just an intermediate good-that is only instrumental.it is not ultimate good because it is not self sufficient and does not stop one from aiming for some other greater good.  What is the ultimate good?  Fame and honor-another candidate for the ultimate good. Many people today seem to be motivated by a desire to be known-to be famous. However these cannot constitute ultimate good simply because they are based on the perception of others. If ones definition of the good life is being popular or respected then the good life becomes elusive  What is ultimate good? Unlike pleasure, wealth, fame and honor, happines is the ultimate good. In the Aristotelian sense, happiness is “living well and doing well”. Among the Greeks this is known Eudaimonia from the root words eu meaning good and daimon meaning spirit. Combining the root words eudamonia means happiness or welfare. Arěte and human happiness Eudaimona is what defines the good life. To live a good life is to live a happy life. For Aristotle, eudaimonia is only possible by living a life of virtue. Arěte, a Greek term defined as “excellence of any kind” and can also mean “moral virtue”. A virtue is what makes one function well  Two types of virtue by Aristotle Intellectual virtue or virtue of thought is achieved through education, time and experience. Intellectual virtue are acquired through self-taught knowledge and skills as much as those knowledge and skills taught and learned in formal institution. Moral virtue or virtue of character is achieved through habitual practice. Aristotle explained that although the capacity for intellectual virtue is innate, it is brought into completion only by practice.  Moral virtue It is by repeatedly unselfish that one develops the virtue of generosity It is by repeatedly resisting and foregoing every inviting opportunity that one develops the virtue of temperance It is by repeatedly exhibiting the proper action and emotional response in the face of danger that one develop the virtue of courage Both intellectual virtue and moral virtue should be in accordance with reason to achieve eudaimonia. Indifference with these virtues, for reasons that are only for one’s convenience, pleasure or satisfaction, leads human away from eudaimonia.  What then is a good life Putting everything in perspective, the good life in the sense of eudaimonia is the state of being happy, healthy and prosperous in the way one thinks, lives and acts. The path to the good life consists of the virtues of thought and character. In this way, the good life is understood as happiness brought about by living a virtuous of life. Not only will scientific advancement and technological development flourish, but also the human person  My Personal Consumption Audit Product/food Average daily, No. of Impact of this weekly or hours/day I de-developing monthly reduce/ do on my amount away with everyday consumed living 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.