MIDTERM Module no.

2
The Good Life
Science, Technology, & Society

Objectives
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
a. explain the meaning of good life;
b. define for himself/herself the meaning of good life;
c. identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be the good life; and
d. cite possibilities available to human beings to attain the good life.

Introduction
Eudaimonia is a Greek word that denotes happiness, virtue, and human flourishing. To live the
good life is to become what we should be as humans: moral agents striving for moral greatness.

According to the Bible in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, it says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in
good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves
as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”.

Long before the name "science" was formed, there was a desire in Ancient Greece to
understand oneself, personal preferences, and the meaning of a good existence in order to know the
world and reality. Understanding reality, according to Plato, entails discovering your soul's aspirations
and how it will flourish. To put it another way, if you want to grasp the reality of this world, you must first
understand yourself. Aristotle was the first to distinguish between theoretical and practical sciences.
He stated that the various sciences' goals are "truth" and "good." To be sure, one must first discover the
truth about what is good before attempting to find it.

Good Life in Different Perspectives

The definition of a good life varies. Different people may define a good life as having a lot of
money. Others might interpret that as having a whole and happy family. It may interpret it as gaining
recognition and achieving one's goals. Your friends may regard it as a life well-lived. This good
existence is likely one of humanity's illusions, according to them. While the works of philosophers during
the last century may appear to be divorced from earthly needs, this is not always the case.
Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Nietzsche formerly made the comprehension of the
good life the focal point of their work.

Plato once said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” In typical ancient
Greek fashion, Plato and his mentor Socrates define the good life in terms
of reasonable restraint and civic duty. They believed that an individual
become a master of himself using his reason to reign in his passions, as well
as doing what he can to help promote the stability of his community. Plato
also claims that despite the reality of change, things remain, and they
restrain their ultimate “whatness” – these concepts were explained by Plato
through the two aspects of reality which are world of matter (changing and
impermanent) and world of forms (real entities).
PLATO

Aristotle disagreed with his teacher, Plato, for he believed 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
entails change. Every human person aspires for an end. This end, as
what we have learned from the previous module, is happiness or
human flourishing. No one – male or female, young or old, curly or
straight, poor or wealthy – resists happiness. We all want to be happy.
Aristotle claim that happiness is the end of everything that we do. ARISTOTLE
 Happiness as the Goal of Good Life
Are you living a good and happy life? It was said that the mission of life is to end the miseries of
material existence and attain a blissful life. Admit it or not, we are constantly chasing after life, but we
often fail in our pursuit. I’m sure that all of us have experiences failure, sadness and rejection. We may
get a glimpse of happiness, but it does not last forever. Most of us, if not all, do not want miseries;
however, we cannot avoid it. The ethical is meant to lead us to the good and happy life. Through the
ages, as has been discussed in the previous modules, man has constantly struggled with the external
world in order to reach human flourishing. History has given birth to different schools of thought, all of
which aim for the good and happy life.

Different Philosophies of Good Life

Philosophy Description
The atomists of Ancient Greece were the first materialists. Democritus and Leucippus
led a school of thought that held that the world is made up of and controlled by tiny
indivisible entities called atomos or seeds. According to them, the world, including
humans, is made up of matter. As a result, only material beings are important. Matter is
Materialism what makes us happy in terms of human flourishing.

For better understanding about the philosophy of materialism, click the link provided
and be able to watch and understand the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24L7r7SoK_Y

Hedonists, on the other hand, consider the ultimate objective of life as attaining
pleasure. Pleasure has always been the emphasis for them, and life is all about gaining
and indulging in pleasure because life is short. Hedonists fervently believe in the phrase,
"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die," and, like materialism, deny the concept
of an afterlife.
Hedonism
For better understanding about the philosophy of hedonism, click the link provided and
be able to watch and understand the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBKrTh1Jb98

The Stoics, a school of philosophy led by Epicurus, believed that in order to be happy,
one must learn to remove oneself and be apathetic. Apathyeia is the Greek word for
indifference. For the sake of the, everyone should accept the fact that some things are
beyond our control. The sooner we recognize this, the happier we will be.

Stoicism For better understanding about the philosophy of stoicism, click the link provided and
be able to watch and understand the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OCA6UFE-0

For theists, communion with God is the ultimate source of happiness. They find
significance in their lives by looking to God as the center of their existence. The world
we live in is merely a transient reality in which we must navigate while waiting for the
ultimate return to the hands of God. They have faith in the hereafter.

Theism For better understanding about the philosophy of theism, click the link provided and
be able to watch and understand the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Kkdj-T3hs

Humanism advocates for man's freedom to shape his own future and legislate his own
rules, free from the constraints of a God who observes and controls. For them, man is
the captain of his own ship, holding the steering wheel. This is the spirit of most scientists
who believed that the world is a place and space for freely excavating the globe in
search of ways to enhance the lives of its inhabitants.
Humanism
For better understanding about the philosophy of humanism, click the link provided
and be able to watch and understand the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P74SNn2f4eE
Virtues
Happiness defines a good life. This happiness, however, is not the kind that comes from sensate
pleasures. It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence, manifested from the
personal to the global scale. Virtue is the excellence of character that empowers one to do good and
to be good. It is cultivated with habit and discipline as it is not a one-time deed, but a constant series
of actions.

Click the link provided for you to understand the meaning of virtual ethics according and developed
by Aristotle and other ancient Greeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMblKpkKYao

Movements Towards the Good Life

The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards the good life.
Science and technology are among the highest expressions of human activities. Science and
technology allow us to thrive and flourish in life if we so desire it. Science and technology may also
corrupt a person, but grounding oneself in virtue will help him or her steer clear of danger.

Activity No. 1
Complete the following given tasks below. Write your answers in NOT more than
five (5) sentences for each item. Make your output using MS Word (or any other word
processing software) and upload the file on our Google Classroom, “Module 2 Activity
no.1” part. Submit this activity until Saturday 11:59 PM only.

1. For me, the true definition of happiness is…

2. How does religion affect everyday life?
3. Does technology lead us to the good life? How? Why?

Property of Mr. John Alvin U. Nillo, LPT and exclusive use of LORMA COLLEGES. Reproducing, storing, distributing, photocopying,
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Resources:
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/pangasinan-state-university/bs-education/module-3-sts-good-life-gmo/14779619
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kbGptJvrRY&t=4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMblKpkKYao
https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-is-good-life-sts/#What_is_good_life_STS