The Good Life

• Aristotle


  Ancient Greek Philosopher, known for his natural philosophy, logic, and political theory
• Aristotle was one of the greatest thinkers in the history of western science and philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre
• Aristotle was the founder of the Lyceum, the first scientific institute, based in Athens, Greece
• Aristotle was the first to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and ethics
• Aristotle was one of the strongest advocates of a liberal arts of education, which stresses the education of the whole person, including one's moral character, rather than merely learning a set of skills
• Aristotle: 'All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every 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.'
• Good life


  Living in comfort and luxury with few
• Good life


  Characterized by happiness from living and doing well
• Eudaimonia


  Came from the Greek word 'eu' meaning "good" and 'daimon' meaning "spirit". Refers to the good life marked by happiness and excellence. Flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human to be the best version of himself/herself.
• Aristotle's View of Good Life

  • The activity of the soul in accordance with virtue
  • Believed that good for humans is the maximum realization of what was unique to humans
  • The good of humans was to reason well
  • The task of reason was to teach humans how to act virtuously, and the exercise faculties in accordance with virtue
• Virtue


  Behavior showing high moral standards. Synonyms: goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, uprightness, upstandingness, integrity, dignity, rectitude, honesty, honorableness, honorability, honor, incorruptibility, probity, propriety, decency, respectability, nobility, nobility of soul/spirit, nobleness, worthiness, worth, good, trustworthiness, meritoriousness, irreproachable, blamelessness, purity, pureness, lack of corruption, merit, principles, high principles, ethics
• Virtue is of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes its birth and growth in teaching (for its reason it requires experience and time). While moral virtue comes about as a result of habit
• Intellectual Virtues


  • Theoretical Wisdom (thinking and truth)
  • Practical wisdom
  • Understanding
• Experience and time are requirements for the development of intellectual virtue
• Moral Virtue


  • Controlled by practical wisdom (ability to make right judgment)
  • Owed its development to how one nurtured it as a habit
  • Can be learned
• Aristotle: 'Happiness depends on ourselves'
• Happiness


  • Central purpose of human life and a goal in itself
  • Depends on the cultivation of virtue
  • A genuinely happy life requires the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as mental well-being
• Happiness


  • An end or goal encompassing the totality of one's life
  • Cannot be gained or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable sensations
  • It is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being
• Science and Technology


  • Also the movement towards a good life
  • One of the highest expressions of human faculties
  • Allows us to thrive and flourish if we desire it
  • May corrupt a person
  • With virtue can help an individual to be out of danger
• Ernest Agyemang Yeboah: 'Life is good! It is only our thoughts, choices, and actions towards the situations we meet in life each moment that makes life look bad! The same bad situation in life that makes one person think badly inspires another to do a noble thing! The same good situation in life that makes one person feel so good to get into a bad situation inspires another person to create another good situation because of the good situation. It is all about thoughts, choices, and actions! Life is good! Live it well!'
• One must find the truth about what the good is before one can even try to locate that which is good
• Aristotle


  Ancient Greek Philosopher known for his natural philosophy, logic, and political theory
• Aristotle


  • One of the greatest thinkers in the history of western science and philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre
  • First to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and ethics
  • Founder of the Lyceum, the first scientific institute, based in Athens, Greece
  • One of the strongest advocates of a liberal arts of education, which stresses the education of the whole person, including one's moral character, rather than merely learning a set of skills
• Aristotle: 'All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every 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.'
• Good life


  • Living in comfort and luxury with few
  • Characterized by happiness from living and doing well
  • Content
• Eudaimonia


  Refers to the good life marked by happiness and excellence, a flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human to be the best version of himself/herself
• Aristotle's view of good life


  • The activity of the soul in accordance with virtue
  • Behavior showing high moral standards
• Virtue


  Intellectual virtue (theoretical wisdom, practical wisdom, understanding) and moral virtue (controlled by practical wisdom, owed its development to how one nurtured it as a habit, can be learned)
• Happiness to Aristotle


  Depends on the cultivation of virtue, a genuinely happy life requires the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as mental well-being
• Happiness is the ultimate purpose of human existence, it is an end or goal encompassing the totality of one's life, it cannot be gained or lost in a few hours, it is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being
• Science and technology


  Can help an individual to thrive and flourish if combined with virtue, but may also corrupt a person
• Ernest Agyemang Yeboah: 'Life is good! It is only our thoughts, choices, and actions towards the situations we meet in life each moment that makes life look bad! The same bad situation in life that makes one person think badly inspires another to do a noble thing! The same good situation in life that makes one person feel so good to get into a bad situation inspires another person to create another good situation because of the good situation. It is all about thoughts, choices, and actions! Life is good! Live it well!'
• One must find the truth about what the good is before one can even try to locate that which is good