Chapter 6

The Good Life

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Explain the concept of the good life as posited by Aristotle;

2. Define the good life in their own words; and
3. Examine shared concerns that make up the good life to come up with innovative and creative
solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical standards.
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Everyone is in pursuit of the good life. We do certain things because we want to achieve a life
which will make us happy and content. By studying and working hard, we try to attain this goal not only
for ourselves but also for our loved ones and the rest of humanity. People’s definition of the good life may
vary and differ in particulars. In general, however, we recognize universal truths that cut across our
differences.

NICOMACHEAN ETHICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS

Aristotle, an important ancient Greek philosopher whose work spans from natural philosophy to
logic and political theory, attempted to explain what the good is. His definition may be useful in our pursuit
of the truth. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle stated:

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 which all things aim (Nicomachean Ethics 2:2).

Everyone is moving towards the good. Thus, completing one’s studies, training for a sport, or
taking a rest is a good. The good is expressed and manifested in various ways for different persons and
circumstances. The good life, however, is more than these countless expressions of what is good. It is
characterized by happiness that springs from living and doing well.

…both the many and the cultivated call it happiness, and suppose that living well are
the same as being happy (Nicomachean Ethics 1:4).

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. If one
is a student, then he/she acts to be the best version of a student by studying well and fulfilling the
demands of school. If one is an athlete by training, then he/she strives to be the best version of an athlete
by training hard as well as joining and winning in sports competitions.
 Furthermore, according to Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate end of human action. It is that
which people pursue for its own sake. Financial stability for one’s family, the power achieved from winning
the elections, or the harmony and peace as a reward for taking care of the environment – all these and
more are pursued for the sake of happiness.

Now such a thing as happiness above all else, is held to be; for this we choose always for itself
and never for the sake of something else, but honor, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we
choose indeed for themselves, but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that
by means of them we shall be happy. Happiness, on the other hand, one chooses for anything
other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7).

Happiness defines a good life. This happiness, however, is not the kind that comes from sensate
pleasures. It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence, manifested from the
personal to the global scale.

It is the activities that express virtue that control happiness, and the contrary activities that
control its contrary (Nicomachean Ethics 1:10).

For 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. Another
example is taking care of the environment through proper waste management which results in a clean
environment and adds to people’s well-being and happiness. These virtuous actions require discipline and
practice. On the other hand, 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 lack of concern for the
environment destroys the Earth we live in. Thus, disregard for virtuous actions, especially for the sake of
convenience and gratification, does not contribute to happiness. The good life is marked by happiness
brought about by virtuous human actions and decisions that affect the individual self and the greater
community. It is characterized by a life of flourishing of oneself and of others. The good life does not
happen in a bubble where 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 constant
practice of the good no matter how difficult the circumstances may be. Virtue is the excellence of
character that empowers one to do and be good. Such virtue is cultivated with habit and discipline as it is
not a one-time deed, but a constant and consistent series of actions. Everyone has the capacity within
himself/herself to be good, but he/she has to be disciplined to make a habit of exercising the good.

Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue is the main owes its birth
and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time), while moral virtue
comes about as a result of habit (Nicomachean Ethics 2:1).

The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards the good life.
Science and technology are one of the highest expressions of human faculties. They 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 may help him/her steer of danger.

Source: McNamara, D., Valverde, V.M. and Beleno, R., Jr. (2018). Chapter 6: The Good Life. Science,
Technology and Society (pp. 70 – 73). Quezon City, Philippines: C & E Publishing Inc.