People’s definition of the good life may vary and differ in the particulars

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 goods.

Thus, completing one’s studies, training for a sports, 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, 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 him/herself.

If one 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, or the harmony and
the peace as a reward for taking care of the environment all these and more pursued for the sake of
happiness.

Now such 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 chooses for anything other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7)

Happiness defines a good life.

The 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.

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 result in a
clean environment and adds to people’s well-being and happiness

The good life is marked by happiness brought by virtuous human actions and decision that effect the
individual self and the greater community.

It is characterized by a life of flourishing of one self and of other. The good life does not happen in a
bubble where only one person flourishing; others have to be in it, too.

Virtue place 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 empower one to do and be good.

Such virtue is cultivated with habit and discipline as it is not a onetime deed, but a constants and
consistent series of action.
Everyone has the capacity within himself/herself to be good, but he/she also has to be discipline to
make a habit of exercising the good.

Virtue, then, being of two kinds, of 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.
The development of science and technology in the Philippines has already come a long way. Many
significant inventions and discoveries have been accomplished by or attributed to Filipinos.

This chapter tackles how the development of science and technology affect the development of the
Philippines as a nation

Scientific and technological development in the Philippines began in the pre-colonial period.

Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippine islands, early Filipino settlers were already using
certain plants and herbs as medicines.

System of farming and animal-raising were also implemented. Moreover, early Filipinos had also
developed different modes of transportation, whether terrestrial or maritime.

A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the natives of the Cordilleras when they built rice
terraces by hand.

Through these terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on the mountainside in cold
temperatures.

They incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and mountain tops to achieve
an elaborate farming system.

The rice terraces of the Cordilleras, which are still functional, show the innovative and ingenious way of
the natives to survive in an otherwise unfriendly environment.

Colonization by the Spaniards provided the Philippines with modern means of construction.

Walls, roads, bridges and other large infrastructures were built using some of the engineering skills and
tools brought by the Spaniards.

In addition, the Spanish government developed health and education systems that were enjoyed by
the principalia class.

The American occupation modernized almost all aspects of life in the Philippines.

They established a government agency, the Bureau of Science, for the sole purpose of nurturing
development in the field of science and technology.
POST-COLONIAL PERIOD

After achieving independence from the colonizers, the Philippines, under different administrations,
continued to pursue programs in science and technology.

Each leadership had its own science and technology agenda.

However, it is important to note that some Philippine presidents posted more developments in the field
than others.