HUMAN FLOURISHING AS REFLECTED IN PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT

How do we know that we are progressing? What are the indicators of development?
More often than not, development is equated with growth and greater consumption. The more
that a population is able to consume, the wealthier it is. Likewise, the more that a person is able
to buy stuff, the higher he/she is on the development scale. The planet, however, is already
overburdened with human activities. It is about time that we rethink our standards of
development if we truly want to live the good life. Jason Hickel, an anthropologist at the London
School of Economics, challenges us to rethink and reflect on a different paradigm of “de-
development."
THE GOOD LIFE
Introduction
• 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.
• People’s definition of the good life may vary and differ in particulars.
• 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.

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 works spans from natural philosophy
to logic and political theory, attempted to explain what the good is.
• Everyone is moving towards the good.
• 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.
• The ancient Greeks called this concept of “living well and doing well” as eudaimonia. This
refers to the good life, which is marked by happiness and excellence.
• Happiness is the ultimate end of human action.
• Happiness defines a good life. This happiness, however, is not 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.
• On the other hand, activities contrary to virtue are those which do not result to happiness.
• Lack of discipline for the sake of convenience and self-gratification, does not contribute to
happiness.
• Virtue plays a significant role in the living and attainment of good life.
• Virtue is the excellence of character that empowers one to do and be good.
• It is cultivated by habit and discipline. Everyone has the capacity within him/herself to be good.
• Virtue then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral. Intellectual virtue owes its birth and
growth to teaching while moral virtue comes about as a result of habit.
• The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards good life.
Science and technology are one of the highest expressions of human faculties.
• They allow us to thrive and flourish in life.
• Science and technology may also corrupt a person, but grounding oneself in virtue will help
him/her steer clear of danger.

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 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 endeavors 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, or the harmony and 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 chooses for anything other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7).
 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.