MODULE 6
THE GOOD LIFE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:
1. Define good life and happiness
2. Explain good life according to different philosophers
3. Discuss what constitutes good life and how to attain good life
4. Enumerate some important possibilities to attain good life
What is Happiness?
“Everyone wants happiness. Nobody wants suffering.”
In psychology, happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being which can be
defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. To
behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of emotions we experience when we do something good or
positive. To neurologists, happiness is the experience of a flood of hormones released in the
brain as a reward for behavior that prolongs survival.
The hedonistic view of well-being is that happiness is the polar opposite of suffering; the
presence of happiness indicates the absence of pain. Because of this, hedonists believe that
the purpose of life is to maximize happiness, which minimizes misery. Eudemonia, a term that
combines the Greek words for "good" and "spirit" to describe the ideology. Eudaimonia defines
happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person. Eudaemonists do this by challenging
themselves intellectually or by engaging in activities that make them spiritually richer people.
Living the good life is all about the exploration of that which gives you joy and
satisfaction. It's about finding purpose and meaning in your life and drawing happiness from that
which you do. Every human being aspires to live, but we all define the phrase “good life”
differently. Some are looking to live an honest life, full of integrity, joy and happiness. Others
seek wealth, social status and fame, as they hope these aspects will help them to live the good
life. In fact, they directly associate the good life with money and material belongings.
The good life is a term that refers to a state that is primarily characterized by a high
standard of living or the adherence to ethical and moral laws. In its two different expressions,
living the good life can be either expressed through an abundant/luxurious lifestyle full of
material belongings or the attempt to live life in accordance with the ethical, moral, legal and
religious laws of one’s country or culture. As such, the term can both be understood as the
quest for wealth, material possessions or luxuries and the quest to create a worthwhile, honest
and meaningful existence.
When it comes to living the good life, we almost all have a certain idea how such a life
should look like. For some, the good life is all about spending time playing video games or
watching television, while eating and drinking as much as they please. Others associate the
good life with days spent in nature, pondering and philosophizing about life. Some simply want
to spend their time in a worthwhile and productive manner, for example by trying to make this
world a better place.
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We then have to ask ourselves the question, if the good life could really be characterized
by a high standard of living alone. If this were the case, living the good life would primarily
consist of the never-ending attempt to fulfil one’s desires and material wishes. As we all know,
human desires can be boundless, while the earth’s resources are quite limited. As such, the
(excessive) good life of one group of people might prevent others from living the “high-standard-
of-living good life.” Or it might hinder future generations from ever living the good life.
THE GOOD LIFE ACCORDING TO PHILOSOPHY
Plato About The Good Life
Plato believed that any object, animal or man has a natural function. Discovering that
function is the first step in living the good life, and it is followed by acting on that function.
Since Plato's philosophy of the good life applies to all things, some functions are easier
to discover and act upon than others. For example, a chair has a natural function to be sat
upon. When it comes to mankind however, Plato felt that the natural function was more
complicated, requiring that man live justly and achieve unity and harmony.
Plato felt that the soul of man had three parts, consisting of intellect, spirit and courage,
and physical desires. Each part has its own need. However, to live the good life, the needs of
each of the three parts of the soul must be met without interfering with the needs of the other
two parts. These needs are basic ones. For example, the physical desires of the soul are
fulfilled by good health and survival.
Reaching a level of balance is only the first step in living the good life. Plato felt that
mankind's nature required more than simply existing in balance. Nature requires that an
individual use intellect and reason to search for the truth pursue further knowledge and seek
ultimate reality.
Aristotle About The Good Life
In Aristotle’s best-known work, Nicomachean Ethics, the philosopher adds important
insights about the good life. Aristotle seeks to construct a framework by developing an
understanding about the highest good for human beings. He points out that to most people; the
highest good consists either in the acquisition of wealth, the pursuit of honor or the satisfying of
bodily pleasures. As a result, most people act accordingly. They seek wealth, honor or
satisfaction and thereby hope to ultimately attain happiness. Aristotle, however, points out that
none of these aspects can ever serve as the highest good. Firstly, he argues that wealth is
primarily used to acquire other things. In itself, wealth cannot make happy. Secondly, honor
might not necessarily contribute to a person’s happiness. Instead, honor is primarily sought to
change how people think of us. Thirdly, the desire to fulfill one’s desires is not something limited
to human beings alone. Animals are seeking pleasure, too. Even more so, by orientating one’s
life primarily to the satisfaction of bodily pleasures, a human being behaves no differently than
an animal. According to Aristotle, such a life is neither fit nor meant for human beings.
From this Aristotle concludes that the highest good cannot consist primarily out of these
three aspects. Instead, the highest good should be something that aims to maximize the
inherent faculties of man. It helps human beings to develop that which separates them from
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animals. In line with this arguing, the capacity for reason is that which separates man from
cattle.
Based on his reflections, Aristotle highlights the essential qualities of the good life.
These qualities primarily consist of contemplation and learning. It is through the process of
contemplating and learning that intellectual virtues are steadily acquired. These virtues can for
instance stem from the acquisition of knowledge about the fundamental principles of nature.
Furthermore, this knowledge can be expanded by applying the principles of nature.
However, contemplation and acquiring knowledge is not enough to live the good life.
Solely understanding nature’s principles and contemplating on these does not contribute the
highest good. It is only through right action that knowledge can be put to its proper use. Hence,
the development of a strong and virtuous character is necessary to perform right actions.
Aristotle therefore concludes that the highest good consists of the acquisition of both intellectual
and personal virtues. And, by living in accordance to the highest good, happiness can be
attained. Consequently, a person achieves happiness by contemplation, learning and the
mental strength to perform right actions. Such a person does not only know what is right, but
also acts accordingly and derives happiness, fulfillment and purpose from it.
Socrates About Good Life
According to Socrates the unexamined life is not worth living. Living life without ever
reflecting upon it is not worth living. The person, who unquestioningly and continuously repeats
the cycle of waking up, working and going back to sleep, is not living the good life. Even further,
people that do not reflect on the nature of things are not living a worthwhile life. If a person is not
examining what they value and why, the chances of them being able to live a good life are
reduced.
Examining, reflecting and questioning the nature of things, however, is not enough.
Similarly, it’s not enough to reflect on your personal values. Living the good life requires you to
become a Master of yourself. Socrates compared this process to a charioteer directing two
horses. Socrates argued that each and every one of us is such a charioteer. We all have to
handle two horses. The first horse is stubborn. It is a direct reflection of our animal instincts with
a boundless appetite for lust and pleasure. The first horse goes in whatever direction it pleases,
if not tightly controlled. It is egotistical and does not reflect what it does. It simply does. The
second horse is of a much nobler and more sensible spirit. It resembles reason and man’s
capability to reflect upon that which he does.
The Three Central Aspects of the Good Life
By integrating these fundamental aspects into life, the
good life that creates happiness, fulfillment and gives you
a sense of purpose and meaning in life can be attained.
Therefore, the ideal of the good life does not set you on a
pursuit of wealth, status and pleasure, but creates
happiness, fulfillment and joy through understanding the
world you live in, mastering yourself and helping your
community to thrive.
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SEVERAL IDEAS TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE
1. Examine life, seek knowledge
Examine life, explore its concepts and principles and seek to learn new things each day.
Be open for new ideas and never cease to go through life with open eyes. Aristotle stated for a
good reason that the unexamined life is not worth living. Living without questioning and
reflecting your behavior, beliefs and values, can result in spending your time with activities that
are not worthwhile. Even more so, it might even make it all the more difficult to live the good life.
On the other hand however, by applying reason to the examination of (your own) life, a
continuous stream of knowledge and virtues can be acquired. It is our capacity for reason that
differentiates human beings from (instinct-driven and pleasure-seeking) animals. If we explore
the world and contemplate on our discoveries, new sources of pleasure, happiness and well-
being can be tapped into.
2. Slow down and enjoy simplicity
A great number of people assume that the good life can only be attained by adding more
to their life. As a consequence, they seek to add material belongings, wealth, social status, fame
or something entirely different to their lives. This, however, is the wrong approach. You don’t
necessarily have to add something new to your life to enjoy the good life. Quite the contrary is
the case. The good life does not consist of continuously chasing evermore. Instead, simplicity
and the ability to draw happiness from what you already have can be integral aspects of a good
life. This shift in perception can help you to start living the good life in this present moment,
without being dependent upon external influences.
3. Seek to attain self-mastery
Living the good life is all about mastering yourself. But interestingly, most people do not
consider self-mastery when it comes to the pursuit of a good life. Instead of seeking discipline
and mastery over themselves, they prefer to chase wealth, material possessions, status or the
fulfillment of desires. However, without self-discipline one’s actions are primarily centered on the
wish to fulfill desires. As a result, we waste important time and energy on feeding desires that
can never be fully satisfied. Consequently, our actions are egotistical, self-centered and un-
reflected. Instead of living the good life, we succumb to the instinct-driven and unreasoned
qualities we share with animals. It is only through self-mastery that we can replace our
boundless appetite for pleasure with a nobler and more reasonable thinking. Instead of being
instinct-driven, it allows us to reflect and to think about what we do.
4. Drawing joy and happiness from life’s simple pleasures
In their quest to live the good life, the vast majority of people shift their attention from the
present moment to a desirable state in the future. They think that the good life can only be
attained through the acquisition of wealth, status and a variety of other things. Therefore, these
people will never truly be able to live the good life, because there will always be something
missing. They either do not have enough material possessions to satisfy all their desires. Or
they are no longer able to enjoy these possessions after a certain period of time.
For this reason, the ability to draw happiness from life’s simple pleasures is essential. It’s
a person’s ability to take pleasure from even the most simplistic things in life that will help in
understanding how worthwhile this present moment is.
5. Help in making this world a better place
Almost all philosophers that pondered about the good life highlighted the importance of
civic engagement. It is an integral aspect of a good life. Even more so, all the other aspects of
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the good life can only be committed in a worthwhile manner by utilizing them for the greater
cause. Therefore, the life that is solely lived for the purpose of fulfilling one’s own desires can
never be fully considered a truly meaningful and worthwhile existence.
6. Be grateful for what you have
Gratitude is an important aspect of the good life. It helps us to overcome the feeling of
not having enough. By being grateful we can also overcome the never-ending pursuit of
boundless desires.
7. Don’t worry about things you can’t control
Life presents us with two different aspects. Firstly, those aspects of our life that can be
influenced or changed. Secondly, there are those aspects or events that are beyond our ability
to influence or alter. We are simply incapable of exerting even the slightest influence over these
events. We therefore feel extremely intimidated and helpless. Feelings that even further
contribute to our fear about things we cannot control.
However, the principal key to withstanding life’s hardship, lies in the way we allow these
happenings to influence us. While we’re not able to control a great variety of events in life, we
still have the capacity to control our responses to these events. We therefore have the choice to
allow these happenings to break us and to incite fear within us, or to get back up from the
ground and to recover from it.
8. Value and nurture relationships
Imagine you’re living the good life but no one is around you can share your joy with. The
concept of living the good life includes the relationship dimension as well. Without it, it would not
fully contribute to your happiness and fulfillment. Even more so, relationships are an integral
part of a worthwhile life. Neither wealth nor social status can grant access to true friendship.
Therefore, living the good life also consists of spending a significant amounts of your time with
those that you love and enjoy being around. The good life is all about growing, developing and
becoming stronger together, not alone.
9. Live your passions
Living the good life is all about discovering your true passions and having the courage to
pursue these activities. By doing what you’re passionate about, a sense of fulfillment,
accomplishment and true satisfaction can be added to your life.
10. Live in the moment
While it is certainly true that the good life means a great variety of different things to
different people, we can all agree that being haunted by the past or having fear of the future is
certainly not part of it. Instead of being trapped in the past or fearful about the future, try to enjoy
this present moment. There’s nothing you can do to change what happened. Also, the future
can be greatly impacted in this very moment. Be here right now, this is exactly where you need
to be.
Learning Activity 6
1. View the short documentary film titled “That Sugar Film”.
2. Explain on how production and consumption of sugar affect your journey towards the
good life.
3. Answer the questions on below.
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Analysis:
1. How does unreflective consumption of goods – in this case, sugar – affect human life?
2. How is the progress of science and technology a movement towards the good life?
SELF-TEST 6
A. Directions: Write the letter of the best answer on the space provided.
___1. Which of the following words is not a plausible translation of eudaimonia?
A. Happiness
B. Virtue
C. Success
D. Fulfillment
___2. Which of the following is always an end in itself?
A. Happiness
B. Virtue
C. Intelligence
D. Honor
___3. Which of the following, according to Aristotle, is the highest pursuit in life?
A. The pursuit of pleasure
B. The pursuit of honors
C. The pursuit of wealth
D. The pursuit of intellectual and personal virtues
___4. According to Socrates, life worth living requires _________?
A. Reflection
B. Mastery of skills
C. Intelligence
D. Wealth
___5. According to Plato, what is the first step of living the good life?
A. Knowing the purpose
B. Acting on the purpose
C. Fullfilling good health
D. Seek ultimate reality
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