Name: _____Endriano, Wyeth Earl P.

____Course, Year, and Section: ____BSN 2-B____

The Good Life

A. Questions

1. How do you define happiness? How is it different with Aristotle’s definition of happiness?

- My definition of happiness is when you are contented or filled with fullness of what has become
or achieved. This can be done by helping other people in need or getting gratitude as for
something that you had been working hard for a long time. For me happiness is subjective.
People treat happiness as an emotion from which you gain by receiving what you do not have to
begin with. This results in the filling of an empty space in your desires which rises to the
happiness or what I have been saying earlier, being contented. In Aristotle’s definition of
happiness, is doing good and gaining health, wealth, knowledge, and friends. The achievement
of this will then lead to the perfect human nature and enrichment of human life, which is for
Aristotle, happiness. My definition of happiness is somehow similar with Aristotle’s definition in
sense that humans need these aspects in life in order to become happy. The only difference are
that, one does not need everything that had been said by Aristotle. In my definition, one only
needs what he wants to become happy. This in turn will result to the never ending wanting of a
human being. As he achieves what he wants, another want will arise. As realization for this
lacking presence is realized, this will cause unhappiness. Thus the never ending thriving for
happiness occurs.

2. In your opinion, what constitutes the good life?

- In my opinion, a good life consists of having a fulfilled life. Being happy with what you are doing
and feeling good by it. Helping other people and helping yourself is a gratifying feeling in itself
and makes me happy. Doing good to others naturally and being done good by others is what my
idealistic view in a good life. Not struggling with any financial or emotional distress while living in
this earth. That is what a good life consists for me.

3. Based on your experiences, what are the factors that have been influencing your concept of the
good life? Discuss some of your experiences to illustrate these factors.

- The factors that influences me on the concept of the good life are my experiences in this world.
My environment had molded the way how I view things. This has shaped how I want my place in
society will be. Whether it is bad or good. Another one of the factor is how I was brought up in
this world. My parents had always been the teacher of morally good conduct that I am
practicing today. Without them I would have a twisted view of what is right and what is wrong.
 Lastly, the media. The media, whether be it the news and in the internet, I can see that it
influences people easily and manipulate them easily. This had shaped the idealistic view of
people’s concept of good life. People now had become so superficial and materialistic that they
don’t see the bad effects it does.

4. What is the good life for Aristotle? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

- Good life for Aristotle include several virtues that enriches human behaviour, living, and/or
nature. With these virtues. Man exhibits morally good acts and live in happiness with its people.
I agree with Aristotle as this idealistic view of the good life is what we are really lacking in the
society right now. I can see that if this is done in today’s society it will be more peaceful to all of
it living in here if the changes are made.

5. Is Aristotle’s idea of the good life still relevant today? Support your answer.

- Aristotle’s idea of the good life is still relevant today. I can say this because it is the idea of
interacting with people in a moralistically good way that can lead to peace. Having this kind of
virtues will ascend human behaviour and thus ignoring their impulses that leads to destruction
or harm of others will be prevented. I can see that it is relevant because if applied, it will surely
improve our life and be happy and at the same time feel good about doing good to others.

6. What is the relationship between science and technology and the good life? Give specific
examples to illustrate your answer.

- The relationship of Aristotle’s good life to science and technology is in how it overseers the
morality of our advancements. This can be seen in experiments that may cause damages and
require human experimentations. This had allow us to be weary of the consciousness it would
affect and how playing god ensues moralistic challenges. This had allowed us to not step into
other people’s freedom and take into account their consent for such experiments.

B. Reflection
This reflection must show your understanding of Aristotle’s concept of the good life. Discuss how
his concept influenced your own perspective.

Aristotle, A philosopher that questioned the very nature of humanity. It seen here in the
Nicomachean ethics how doing moralistically good will lead to a good life or the good life. As a
student I have read through the book 4 and 5 and it has left an impression in me as the books I
have read before. The book discusses and dives in the virtues of the rational parts of the soul of a
man that are concerned with the way how Man live in an organized society.
There were many virtues that was discussed in the book and one of them is the virtue of
liberality. In other words, it concerns of giving to others. Whether it be monetary or favours. It had
been said here that giving to others too much is bad because it is considered to be wasteful. It also
said that giving less to others is bad as it is being stingy. Giving the right amount is the right way to
go. It is really hard to get the right amount right as it takes consideration and equity of the person
being given to. Giving to others with malicious intent or expecting it to be returned is a morally
bad. But now in our society mostly of people who do good or give to charity are doing it just for the
deduction in taxation. This concept is still relevant but not reflected upon by us. Aristotle also
discusses how becoming magnificent always involves wealth, expenses, or donations. But
expending needlessly will have a counter effect of invalidating the magnificence. And being
conscious with the goal of being magnificent is not magnificence. Being truly magnificent is
expending with right reasons. Upon reading this, it is apparent that in our society this is being done
frequently. People are more concerned in advancing their personal interests and fame. I can’t say
that this is wrong but being superficial has made us lose our morality in some way. We no longer
heed for the betterment of everyone, we thrive to have it better than everyone else. It is the sense
of speciality that is now more endearing than the gratifying smiles of the one you helped. In
Aristotle’s good life, it also had discussed there how shame is the driving motivation to do morally
good. Those who are moralistically good people do not do shameful things. I can say that this is
true. We humans, as a conscious being, is more concerned with our image. We prevent doing bad
stuff in fear of damaging or degrading our image In society. We are afraid in being shunned by the
majority as this would oppose our instincts to stick to the larger group for survival. As for the virtue
of justice, I can say that there is no justice in today’s justice system. The laws today lacks flexibility
and equity that is the opposite of the definition of Aristotle. Aristotle’s justice had emphasized that
one needs to consider the variables and putting himself in the same shoes for it to be fair in passing
judgement. In today’s world justice has lost its meaning. Justice favors the rich and ignores the
poor. I can say this with confidence that justice had lost its eyes. The politicians that had been
committing crime was left unpunished while normal people who had committed it was ostracized
by the system.
By reading Aristotle’s book, I have adjusted my perspective and see this society I am living in is
wrong. There is very wrong with how people treat each other. I can say that having a good life in
this world is quite impossible if you are in the poverty line. If you are in the poverty line you won’t
be able to do good things. When people are thriving they do things that are necessary to survive
even if it is not morally good.