Lesson 3:

THE GOOD LIFE

Noemi Ann De Guzman
Instructor
 Topic Outline

01 Aristotle’s Nichomachean
Ethics and the Good Life
04 Arête and Human Happiness

02 Eudaimonia: The Ultimate

Good
05 Why the Future does not Need
Us?

03 Eudaimonia: Uniquely Human?

Are we living the GOOD
LIFE?
 Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
01 and the Good Life
• In the documentary film, The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case Against
Scientism, C.S Lewis posited that “science must be guided by some ethical basis
that is not dictated by science itself”

• Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics – ethical basis.

 Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
01 and the Good Life

ARISTOTLE
• Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist
• Student of Plato, who was then a student of Socrates
• Considered the ‘Big Three of Greek Philosophy’
• Attempted to explain what GOOD is
 Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
01 and the Good Life
Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
• Fundamental basis of Aristotelian ethics.
• Consists of 10 books.
• It is probably named after either his father or son, who were
both named Nicomachus.

Nichomachean Ethics (NE)

• an article on the nature of moral life and human
happiness based on unique essences of human nature
 Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
01 and the Good Life

Good

Succeeding Pursuing a
Getting a Traveling
in a healthy
college across the
business and active
degree world
venture lifestyle
 Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
01 and the Good Life
• Everyone aims to achieve that which is good.
• In NE Book 2 Chapter 2 (NE 2:2), Aristotle explained that every action aims at
some good. However, some actions aim at an instrumental good, while some aim
at an intrinsic good.
• INSTRUMENTAL GOOD
• Something considered as a means to some other good
• INTRINSIC GOOD
• Something worthwhile not because it leads to something else, but for its
own sake alone
• Ultimate Good

“Ultimate good is better than instrumental good”

 02 Eudaimonia: The Ultimate Good

• One might think that pleasure is the ultimate good.

• Others might think that wealth is a potential
candidate for the ultimate good.
• Another for the ultimate good is fame and honor
 02 Eudaimonia: The Ultimate Good

• Happiness is the ultimate good.

• Eudaimonia = the good life
eu = “good”
daimon = “spirit”
• a good life is marked by happiness and excellence
• Human flourishing or prosperity
• In the Aristotelian sense, happiness is “living well and doing well”.
03 Eudaimonia: Uniquely Human?

• Eudaimonia or happiness is unique to humans for it is

uniquely human function.
• This is achieved only through a rationally directed life.
 03 Eudaimonia: Uniquely Human?
Aristotle’s notion of TRIPARTITE SOUL
• Nested hierarchy of the functions and activities of the soul.

HUMANS
ANIMALS
PLANTS

Nutritive Sensitive Rational

degree degree degree

Reproduction,
Growth Mobility,
sensation Thought,
Reflection
04 Arête and Human Happiness
• Arête = excellence of any kind
= moral virtue
• Intellectual virtue
• virtue of thought (wisdom and understanding)
• Moral virtue
• virtue of character (generosity, temperance, and
courage)
What then is the good life?
Good life in the sense of eudaimonia is the state
of being happy, healthy, and prosperous in the
way one thinks, lives, and acts.
Why the Future does
not need us?
Why the Future does not need us?

Bill Joy
• Chief scientist and Corporate
Executive Officer of Sun
Microsystems
• Wrote the essay “Why The Future
Doesn’t Need US” last 2000
Why the Future does not need us?

• Our most powerful 21st century technologies, genetics,

nanotech, and robotics, are threatening to make humans an
endangered species. This possible extinction of the species may
largely come about due to the unreflective and unquestioning
acceptance of new technologies by humans.
Special Issues
• Dangers of Technology
• Biodiversity and the Healthy Society
• Genetically Modified Organisms
• Robotics
• Climate Change
• Nuclear Energy
• Covid-19 Vaccine
 Thank you
for listening!