The Human Person

Flourishing in terms
of Science and
Technology
 WHAT IS HAPINESS?

•In psychology, happiness is a mental or emotional state of

well-being which can be defined by, among others, 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.
 WHAT IS HAPINESS?

•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
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.
HUMAN FLOURISHING
An effort to achieve self-actualization and
fulfillment within the context of a larger
community of individuals, each with the
right to pursue his or her own such efforts.

It involves the rational use of one's

individual human potentialities, including
talents, abilities, and virtues in the pursuit
of his freely and rationally chosen values
and goals.
 Well-Being Theory
By: Martin Seligma

well-being can be described as judging life

positively and feeling good. Or experience of
health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes
having good mental health, high life
satisfaction)
Well-Being Theory
Positive emotion- what we
feel: pleasure, rapture,
ecstasy, warmth, comfort,
and the like. An entire life led
successfully around this
element; “pleasant life.”
Well-Being Theory
Engagement- is about flow: being
one with the music, time
stopping, and the loss of self-
consciousness during an
absorbing activity. Being fully
engaged means doing everything
with enthusiasm.
Well-Being Theory
Relationships- The feeling of
satisfaction, flourishing or well-
being can be experienced when we
are in a relationship with other
people. Human evolution could
also be related to the positive
relationships with other people, as
other people are also part of the
environment where humans adapt.
Well-Being Theory
Meaning and purpose- human
beings, wants a “meaningful life”
like belonging to and serving
something that you believe is bigger
than you are. This is to prove your
meaning or purpose with other
people.
 Well-Being Theory
Accomplishment- is defined as
something that is successful or
achieved after a lot of hard work or
efforts. The achieving life is dedicated
to accomplishment, even when it bring
no positive emotion, no meaning and
nothing in the way of positive
relationships.
ARISTOTLE
Happiness is a complete and
sufficient good. This implies that:
It is desired for itself.
It is not desired for the sake of
anything else
It satisfies all desire and has
no evil mixed in with it.
It is stable.
 “Eudaimonia” is a term that combines the
Nicomachean Greek words for "good" and "spirit" to
Ethics describe the ideology. Eudaimonia
defines happiness as the pursuit of
(philosophical inquiry into the nature of the
good life for a human being)
becoming a better person.

The major components of Eudaimonia

•Arete or Virtue
•Friendship
•Other goods such as Wealth & Power
Nicomachean Ethics
ARETE OR VIRTUE

Arete is an ancient Greek word meaning the

goodness or excellence of a thing

Aristotle describes
through the
understanding of
ethical and
Intellectual Virtue (Virtues of Thought)
intelectual virtue and
- Episteme (Scientific Knowledge)
- Phronesis (Practical Wisdom) *the highest intellectual virtue* pursuing it, a person
Moral Virtue (virtues of character) can achieve a life of
- Andreia (Bravery fulfilling happiness
- Sophrosune (Temperance)
Nicomachean Ethics
FRIENDSHIP

Philia (friendship) is an essential component of

‘the good life'

Aristotle
believes that
friendship is
Friendship based on utility necessary for a
Friendship based on pleasure or delight virtuous and
Friendship grounded in virtue. therefore happy
life.
Nicomachean Ethics
GOODS

The human good is "activity of the rational part of

the human soul on the basis of virtue".

Eudaimonia is the
highest human good;
to live in a worthwhile
and subjectively
External goods (wealth, fame, honor, power, friends), satisfying way--that is,
Goods of the body (life, health, good looks, physical to achieve eudaimonia,
strength, athletic ability, dexterity, etc.), and one needs such things
Goods of the soul (virtue, life-projects, knowledge as honor, wealth,
and education, artistic creativity and appreciation, friends, political power
recreation, friendship, etc.) and virtue.
Eastern and Western Conception
regarding Society and Human Flourishing

Eastern Conception: Western Conception:

•Focus is community-centric •More focused on the individual
•Individual should sacrifice •Human Flourishing as an end
himself for the sake of society
•Aristotelian view
•Chinese Confucian System
•Aims for Eudaimonia
•Japanese Bushido as the ultimate goal
•Encourage studies of literature,
sciences, and art for a greater cause.