GOOD LIFE

• What does it mean to live a good life?

  • Freedom
  • Money
  • Power
  • Fame
  • Service to others
  • Justice
• Eudaimonia


  Often translated as happiness, although it is not associated with pleasure as the English word is. For Aristotle, a happy life is one lived according to reason, either by spending a life in contemplation of things that do not change (like mathematics or astronomy) or living a practical life of virtue.
• Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)


  Means being able to think carefully about what is good for you. It is important for making choices that lead to a happy and meaningful life.
• Decisions for a Good Life are not just about thinking about things like being healthy or strong, but about making choices that help you live a good and fulfilling life overall.
• The passage from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Book VI talks about the importance of making wise decisions for a good and fulfilling life.
• Practical Wisdom in Action


  Being practical means making smart decisions towards a good outcome without following a specific set of rules. It involves choosing actions that make your life better and more virtuous.
• Good Life (Eudaimonia)


  The main goal is to achieve a good life, which means living happily and well. It's about finding fulfillment through moral and intellectual growth, not just material success.
• Why Deliberation Matters


  Deliberation, or careful thinking before making choices, is crucial. It helps you make decisions that lead to a life full of goodness, virtue, and happiness.
• Téchne


  Refers to technical skills or arts
• Phronimos


  The practically wise person
• The passage explains how the phronimos deliberates not just about what is good, but about what leads to the good life in general.
• Virtuous Actions vs. Products

  Téchne involves instrumental deliberation aimed at producing specific outcomes beyond the actions themselves. In contrast, phronetic deliberation focuses on virtuous actions that are ends in themselves and lead to the good life as a whole.
• Goal of the Practically Wise


  The aim of the phronimos is to engage in activities that lead to eudaimonia, or the good life in general. While both téchne and phronesis may deliberate on specific situations, only phronetic deliberation directly contributes to eudaimonia.
• Phronetic Deliberation


  Phronetic deliberation focuses on achieving a specific good end that is different from the specific ends of téchne. It involves contemplating virtuous actions that contribute to the overall good life, rather than just focusing on specific products or outcomes.
• Phronetic deliberation is distinguished from technical deliberation by its focus on virtuous actions as means to the end of eudaimonia and the aim of the agent towards living well. While both operate in particular situations, the physician, for example, aims at health, while the phronimos aims at the broader concept of "living well".
• In Aristotle's view, the good life is not about seeking temporary pleasures or external rewards, but about achieving a state of well-being through virtuous conduct and the pursuit of excellence.
• Ultimately, Aristotle's concept of a good life is grounded in the rational pursuit of virtue, which he believes is essential for human flourishing and true happiness.