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.
 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.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
• IDENTIFY DIFFERENT CONCEPTION OF
HUMAN FLOURISHING
• DETERMINE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND VALIDITY OF
SCIENCE; AND
• CRITIC HUMAN FLOURISHING VIS-À-VIS
PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO DEFINE
FOR THE MEANING OF A GOOD LIFE.
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
HAPPINESS

 In PSHYCHOLOGY – mental and emotional state of

well being.
 In BEHAVIORISTS – a cocktail of emotions we
experience when we do something good or positive.
 In NEUROLOGIST – the experience of a flood of
hormones released in the brain as a reward for behavoir
that prolongs survival.
Flourishing

Developing
 rapidly and successfully “ A flourishing career”

A state
 where people experience positive emotions, positive

psychological functioning and positive social functioning

most of the time “living within an optimal range of human

functioning”.
Human civilization and the
Development of Science and
Technology
 Science and technology are recognized as
POSITIVE in principle but can also like all
human enterprises, serve EVIL ENDS.

 Aristotle (384-322 BC)

- Is the most accomplished individual who has
ever lived.
NICOMACHEAN Ethics

 Human flourishing arises as a result of

different components such as;
 PHRONESIS
 FRIENDSHIP
 WEALTH
 POWER
Two Distinction of Aristotle

 Practical science
 Concerned with knowledge for the sake of
controlling reality.
 Studies relationships that are not content, or
invariable
Ex. economics
Speculative Science

 As yielding necessary, universal, non-contigent

truths.
 It generates universal truth deduced from self
evident principles known by induction.
 The goal an is knowledge for its own sake.
Ex. Mathematics and metaphysics
Fluorishing,Eudaimonia,Happiness

Eudaimonia
a term that combines the Greek words for “good” and
“spirit”
 A pursuit of becoming a better person.

Flourishing
 highest good of human endeavuours and that toward
which all action aim . It is success as a human being.
The best life is one of excellent human activity.
 Different Conception of Human Flourishing

EASTERN
 focus is community centric.
 It is individual should sacrifice
himself for the sake of society.
 Chinese colonial system
 Encourage studies of literature,
sciences, and art for a greater
cause or purpose
Western –
 more focused on the
individual flourish.
 Human flourishing as an end
 Aims for eudaimonia as the
ultimate good .
Principle of human flourishing

Dignity of human Person

 Personal values or rights with demands respect for all people
regardless of race, social class wealth etc.
Common Good
- Sacrificing self interest to provide for the basic human needs of
everyone, make the whole community.
Science, Technology and Human Flourishing

Deeply
 intertwined with goal setting relevant to science
and technology. Every discovery, innovation, and
success contribution to our pool human knowlegde
Say that the end goals of both science and technology

and human flourishing are related in that good is
inhearithy releave to the truth.
Technology is a human activity we excel in as a result of

achieving science.(Heidegger)
Good is inherently related to the truth

Steps in scientific Method

1. Observe
2. Determine the Problem
3. Formulate hypothesis
4. Conduct experiment
5. Gather and analyze
6. Formulate conclusion and provide
recommendation
Verification Theory

 A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or

interpreted in the event of an alternative hypothesis
being accepted.
 Takes into account those results which are measurable
and experiment which are repeatable.
Falsification Theory

• As long as ideology is not proven to be false and can

best explain the phenomenon over alternative theories,
we should accept the ideology.
• Allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by
the verification theory.
 According to KARL POPPER
• It is a continual effort to test theories against
experience and make revisions based on the outcomes
of these test.
 HUMAN FLOURISHING is positively related to a
rational man’s attempts to externalize his values and
actualize his internal views of how things ought to be in
the outside world. Practical reason can be used to
choose ,create and integrate all the values and virtues
that personal flourishing.
POSITIVE MINDS
POSITIVE VIBES
POSITIVE LIFE
POSITIVITY