The Good Life

World’s Leading
Problem
odule 12
22M2 – BSMARE
A. Environmental Problem.
1. The World’s Leading Environmental Problem
Aristotle and How we All Aspire For a Good life
• Aristotle was the first philosopher to approach the problem of reality from
a scientific lens, and he also dabbled in the complex problematization of
the end goal of life: happiness. He took a different approach to reality than
his teacher and predecessor, Plato, who thought that things in this world are
not real and are only copies of the real in “the world of forms.

Plato
• Plato believed that change is a process and a phenomenon that happens in the world, and that
despite the reality of change, things remain and retain their ultimate "whatness". He was
convinced that reality is full of these seemingly contrasting realities.
• Manifestations of change and permanence. For Plato, this can only be explained by
postulating two aspects of reality, two worlds if you wish: The world of forms and The world
of matter.
• “In the World of Matter”, things are changing and impermanent.
• “In the World of Forms”, the entities are only copies of the ideal and the models, and the
forms are the only real entities. Things are red in this world because they participate in what
it means to be red in the world of forms.
Aristotle
• Aristotle argued that there is no reality over and above what the senses can perceive,
and that change is a process that is inherent in things. He also argued that even human
beings are potentialities who aspire for their actuality, and that every action that
emanates from a human person is a function of the purpose (telos) that the person has.
He further argued that happiness is the be all and end all of everything that we do, and
that no individual-young or old, fat or skinny, male or female - resists happiness.
Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life
• John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle in the eighteenth century, which
states that an action is right as long as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the
greatest number of people. He argued that individual happiness should be prioritized and
collectively dictates the kind of action that should be endorsed. He also argued that mining
should be deemed ethical if it benefits the majority rather than hurt the majority, offers
more benefits than disadvantages, and results in more people getting happy rather than sad.
Through the ages, different schools of thought have sought to achieve human flourishing.
Materialism
• The atomists in Ancient Greece believed that the world is made up of
Atomos, tiny indivisible units that come together randomly to form the
things in the world. They believed that only material entities matter, and
that matter is what makes us attain happiness. This belief is still held by
many people today, who cling to material wealth as their primary source
of meaning.
Hedonism
• The hedonists, for their part, see the end goal of life in acquiring pleasure.
Pleasure has always been the priority of hedonists. For them, life is about
obtaining and indulging in pleasure because life is limited. The mantra of
this school of thought is the famous, Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow
we die." Led by Epicurus, this school of thought also does not buy any
notion of afterlife just like the materialists.
1. The World’s Leading
Environmental ProblemStoicism
• Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the stoics espoused the idea that to
generate happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The
original term, apathies, precisely means to be indifferent. For the stoics,
happiness can only be attained by a careful practice of apathy. We should, in
this worldview, adopt the fact that some things are not within our control. The
sooner we realize this, the happier we can become.
Theism
• Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as a fulcrum of their
existence. The Philippines, as a predominantly Catholic 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. The world where we are in is only just a temporary
reality where we have to maneuver around while waiting for the ultimate return
to the hands of God.
Humanism
• Humanism is a school of thought that espouses the freedom of man to carve his own
destiny and legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God. Inspired by the
enlightenment in the seventeenth century, humanists see themselves as stewards of the
creation and individuals who are in control of themselves and the world outside them.
Technology has been used to ease the difficulty of life, such as social media, the Internet,
and smart phones. Additionally, technology has allowed us to tinker with our sexuality, but
a balance between ethics and technology has to be achieved.
SUMMARY
THAT’S ALL
Does anyone have any questions?
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World’s Leading

• “In the World of Matter”, things are changing and impermanent.

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