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REVIEW
The
GOOD
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LIFE
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Objectives:

 Examine what is meant by a good life in various philosophies;

 Examine what you consider to be the good life and determine

which philosophy that represents;
 Identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a
good life;
 Recognize possibilities available to human beings to attain the
good life; and
 Examine shared concerns that make up the good life in order to
come up with innovative, creative solutions and ethical solutions.
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HOW DO YOU
DESCRIBE A GOOD
LIFE?
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ARISTOTLE AND GOOD LIFE

 Aristotle forwarded the idea that there is no reality over and

above what the senses can perceive. As such, it is only by
observation of the external world that one can truly understand
what reality is all about. Change is a process that is inherent in
things. We, along with all other entities in the world start as
potentialities and move towards actualities. The movement, of
course, entails change.
 Aristotle believes that wealth is not happiness, because wealth
is just an economic value, but can be used to gain some
happiness; wealth is a means to further ends.
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ARISTOTLE AND GOOD LIFE
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MATERIALISM
 The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient
Greece. Democritus and Leucippus led a school
whose primary belief is that the world is made up of
and is controlled by the tiny indivisible units in the
world called atomos or seeds. Accordingly, the world
including human beings, is made up of matter and
there is no need to possess immaterial entities as
sources of purpose. Atoms simply comes together
randomly to form the things in the world. As such, only
material entities matter.
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HEDONISM
 The Hedonists see the end goal of life in
acquiring pleasure. Pleasure has always been
the priority of hedonists. For them life is
obtaining and indulging in pleasure because life
is limited. They believe that pleasure give
meaning to their life without thinking of the
future. The mantra of this school of thought is
the famous, “Eat, drink and merry for tomorrow
we will die.
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STOISCISM

 Exposed the idea that to generate happiness,

one must learn to distance oneself and be
apathetic. The original term apatheia, precisely
means to be indifferent. These group believe
that they can do things at their own and believe
that happiness can only be attained by a careful
practice of apathy.
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THEISM

 Most people find the meaning of their lives

using God as the fulcrum of their existence. The
Philippines, as predominantly country, is
witness to how people base their life goals on
beliefs that hinged on some form of
supernatural reality called heaven. The ultimate
basis of happiness for theists is the communion
with God.
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HUMANISM

 For humanists, man is literally the captain of his

own ship. They see themselves not merely as
stewards of the creation but as individuals who
are in control of themselves and the world
outside them.