UNIT 3

THE GOOD LIFE

 What is
Happiness?

In Psychology – Happiness is
a mental or emotional state
of well-being.

To Behaviorists – Happiness
is a cocktail of emotions

To Neurologists – Happiness
is a flood of hormones
released in the brain.
Is Happiness a destination or a journey?

Hedonistic View believe

that happiness is the polar
opposite of suffering and
indicates the absence of
pain.
Because of this, Hedonists
believe that the purpose of
life is to maximize
happiness.
 Eudaimonia
-A term combines the
Greek words “good” and
“spirit” that
describes the ideology.
- Define happiness as
becoming a better person.
- Coined by Aristotle
- Property of one’s life
when considered as a
whole
 Human Flourishing
Nicomachean Ethics – The
nature of Good life for a
human being written by
Nicomachus.

Human flourishing - They

are expected to become
“Man of the World”

Competition means of
survival has become a
passé.
Coordination is a new trend.
 Eastern VS Western Conception about
Society and Human Flourishing
EASTERN CONCEPTION
-Focus in community-cantered
-Individual should sacrifice himself
-Chinese Confucian System
-Japanese Bushido
-Encourage to study literature,
science art for greater cause.
WESTERN CONCEPTION
-More focused on individual
-Human flourishing as an end
-Aristotelian View
-Aims for Eudaimonia as the
ultimate goal
ading

What is “The Good Life” as perceived

by different Schools of thought?

1. Aristotle and The Good Life

2. Materialism
3. Hedonism
4. Stoicism
5. Theism
6. Humanism
 Aristotle and
The Good Life

Materialism

- Aristotle forwarded
the idea that there is -The material
no reality over and things we possess
above what the senses give us ultimate
can perceive and
happiness.
claiming that this
world

is the only reality we

can all access.
 Hedonism Stoicism

-The hedonists see - Epicurus, the stoics,

the end goal of life in exposes the idea that
acquiring pleasure. generate happiness

and must learn to
-Pleasure has always distance oneself and
been the priority of be apatheti
hedonist.

 Theism Humanism

– Most people find - Espouses the freedom

the meaning of
of man to carve his own
their lives using
destiny and
God as a fulcrum
legislate his own laws.
of their existence.
- Ultimate basis of -Humanists, man is
happiness for theist literally the captain of
is the communion his own ship.
with God.