CHAPTER 9- THE GOOD LIFE chooses for anything other than itself (Nicomachen
Ethics 2:7).
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 the 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 at 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 many
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 and doing 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 endeavour 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, 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 for 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, no one
GEC 108- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
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 only 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 also has to be
disciplined to make a habit of exercising the good.
Virtue, then being of two kinds, intellectual
and moral, intellectual virtue in 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 will help him/her steer clear
of danger.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. In your opinion, what constitutes a good life?
2. What does Aristotle say about the good life? Does it
still stand in the contemporary world?
3. How is the progress of science and technology a
movement towards the good life?
1
 ACTIVITY

Form groups of four members each. View the short

documentary film titled That Sugar Film. Discuss among
yourselves and report on how production and consumption
of sugar affect your journey towards the god life. How does
unreflective consumption of goods – in this case, sugar –
affect human life?

REFERENCES

McNamara, D. J. et al. (2018). Science,

Technology, and Society. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.

Serafica, J. et al. (2018). Science, Technology and

Society. Quezon City: Rex Book Store, Inc.

GEC 108- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY 2