Chapter 5: The Traditional and Modern Way of Good Life

Moral philosophy aims to develop a set of principles and a view of human goals
in life that will allow individuals to live with clarity and confidence. It consists of a general
quest which includes not only morality but also the search for the good life. Knowing the
good life is very much important because the good life implies the best way to live and
the right principles of human action. The Good Life simply means a life well lived and it
is the most desirable way to live.

In ancient Greece, long before science has been coined, the need to understand
the world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and the good life.
At that time people were busy in inquiring the nature of life and happiness. In Greek
tradition, ethics was conceived as relating to the good life and they came up with
different opinions regarding the characteristics of the happiest life (good life) and the
means for achieving it. For Plato, the task of understanding the things in the world runs
parallel with the knowledge of truly getting what will make the soul flourish. Aristotle
considered the end of humans to be the good life which is a happiness or prosperity
achieved by living life in accordance with virtue. A quite different notion introduced by
Judaeo-Christian ethics says that the ideals of righteousness constitute the substance
of morality, not the happy or pleasant life believed by the Hedonists. These differences
are represented in a major division between two theories- one gives importance on duty
and right as the primary ethical concept while the other one takes happiness and good
life as the fundamental concern of ethics.

The concept of the good life is a complex one. It is believed to be the most
difficult to define. The good life can be regarded as a product of society, without society
whether traditional or modern its existence is meaningless. The good life is inherent
among the unity and harmony of both the external and internal since man is composed
of a body, a soul, and a spirit. The good life is a systematic organized moral concept
which implies all around perfection of an individual as a religious, political, economic,
rational, and spiritual being. So, therefore, the good life of human beings can be
measured in terms of holistic development of individual from all of those aspects.
 A. Ethical and Moral Concepts of Good Life

To the ancient Greeks “living well” and “doing well” generally referred to the good
life which was marked by happiness and excellence. It was a flourishing life filled with
meaningful endeavours that empowered human beings to be the best. According to
Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate end of human action and it defines the good life.
This happiness comes from living an excellent and a virtuous life manifested in actions
and decisions that affect the individual self and the greater society. Virtue plays a
significant role in the living and attainment of the good life.
“Good” is a moral concept that has different uses. These uses are necessary to
understand the concept of the good life. Good may be intrinsic and extrinsic, subjective
and objective, relative and absolute, particular and general, moral and non-moral and so
on. The good life and good manners and right conduct are the two central aspects of
Moral Philosophy. Value is one of the related concepts of human conduct and an
important task for proper realization of social relationship between men and society to
attain the good life which also means “worth living”.
On the philosophical level, values can be as natural, social, and spiritual. In
natural life, “happiness” is a word for all values. In social life, “justice” is a word for all
values. In spiritual life, “perfection” is a word of all values. Since, the good life circling
around all these aspects, attainment of happiness, justice, and perfection are the
essentials of a way of the good life. The importance of values was one of the leading
trends of philosophical thinking that shaped the cultural pattern of a society.
The middle age philosophers believed that the man who has all the positive
knowledge is a morally perfect being, and those who have perfect harmony have truth,
beauty, and goodness. These three idealistic characteristics are the intrinsic values of
life which indicates the three aspects of life, the thinking, feeling, and being willing. The
truth is the ideal for knowledge or thinking, beauty is the ideal for feeling, and
goodness is the ideal of being willing.
Hence, the good life is a moral concept. It is possible to describe it with the
analysis of Ethical theories. Aristotle’s concept of the good life is described in
Nicomachean Ethics which is theological in nature when he considered the nature of
desire to achieve happiness. Along with that, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest
Happiness Principle by saying that an action is right as far as it maximizes the
attainment of happiness for the greatest number of people. When an action or decision
benefits the greatest number of people, the said action or decision is deemed ethical.
Ethics means to lead human beings to the good and happy life to reach human
flourishing that describes the operation of human volition and moral deliberation and
develop a theory of each virtue as the means between to extremes.
The good life of an individual cannot be understood in isolation from the
society which an individual is a part of it. Society is a system through which the moral,
religious, and spiritual dimensions of individual life is manifested or expressed. The
development of a society is dependent upon the holistic development of individual
members of the society. Society can be viewed in different perspectives: 1) The
Individualistic Perspective- John Stuart Mill holds that individual is the only reality and
apart from individual, society has no relevance because society depends upon the
individuals, 2) The Holistic Perspective- Marx and Hegel maintain that society is the
only reality; that the individual is real as long as he is a part of the whole and apart from
the society, an individual has no importance, and 3) The Contemporary Perspective-
Aristotle and Gandhi maintain that individual and society are both equally important.
Individual is important for the society and society is important for the individual because
the individual has been shaped and developed in society.
When an individual attains perfection which he actually aims, then he finds a
state of the highest good of life called the good life. It simply means that the good life is
the life of perfection of the moral standard and ethical ideals of practices.
Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. Though oftentimes
used interchangeably, they are different. Ethics refer to rules provided by an external
source, e.g. codes of conduct in the workplace or religious principles. Morals refer to an
individual’s own principles of the knowledge between “right” and “wrong”. With
reference to the comparison chart, the understanding of ethic and morals will be
enhanced.
Source:
Linkedln Learning, February 13, 2013

Ethics versus Morals comparison chart

Ethics Morals

What are The rules of conduct recognized in Principles or habits with respect
they? respect to a particular class of human to right or wrong conduct. While
actions or a particular group or morals also prescribe do’s and
culture. don'ts, morality is ultimately a
personal compass of right and
wrong.

Where do Social system – External Individual - Internal

they come
from?

Why we do Because society says it is the right Because we believe in something

it? thing to do. being right or wrong.

Flexibility Ethics are dependent on others for Usually consistent, although can
definition. They tend to be consistent change if an individual’s beliefs
within a certain context, but can vary change.
between contexts.

The "Gray" A person strictly following Ethical A Moral Person although perhaps
Principles may not have any Morals at bound by a higher covenant, may
all. Likewise, one could violate Ethical choose to follow a code of ethics
Principles within a given system of as it would apply to a system.
rules in order to maintain Moral "Make it fit"
integrity.

Origin Greek word "ethos" meaning Latin word "mos" meaning

character" "custom"

Acceptabilit Ethics are governed by professional Morality transcends cultural

y and legal guidelines within a particular norms
time and place
B. Effects of Science and Technology and the Good Life
 Today, technology plays a crucial role in everyday life that directly or indirectly
affected the lives of many whether willed or not. People were reliant so much on
technology and it became an inevitable part of society. It made life much easier,
comfortable, and more convenient than before. The most complicated tasks at home,
office, and laboratory became so simple and less time consuming. Today, technology
enjoys fame and glory because of the many benefits it brings to society. It does not only
bring forth convenience but also pleasure and happiness.

Generally, technology keeps on developing due to the changing of times and

environment that require advancement and innovation. Although it is very helpful to
humans, it is not exempt from criticism and ethical dilemmas. Usually, different
problems may arise when the technological devices are misused or abused.

Here are some of the various problems, criticisms, and ethical dilemmas
involving the use of the available technological devices.

1. Most parents argue that these devices make their children lazy and
unhealthy. They have a great tendency to sit and chill all day without doing anything
productive. They skip meals, and lack exercise or bodily movements.
2. People, especially children who are not capable of rationalizing right or
wrong are freely exposed to the different things on television, mobile phones, laptops, or
computers. They just easily search the web and go to different websites without
restrictions, thus allowing them to see, read, or hear things which are not suitable to
children at a very young age.
3. Though, it is highly useful it is also problematic. Life dominated by devices
tends to become dull and devoid of nobility. One does not need real skills to use
technological commodities which therefore, there is no more issue call for self-
transcendence. (Borgmann’s Philosophy of technology)
4. Technology is unethical. These devices also bring undesirable
consequences to people and it makes humans useless. Manual labour is gradually
replaced by machineries, computers, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Artificial
Intelligence helps making decisions out from massive data using sophisticated statistical
analyses. As of August 2017, it is estimated that a million of Filipino BPO workers are
affected and lose their jobs with the adoption of artificial intelligence. (Santos, 2017)
Unemployment is one of the many ethical considerations in the widespread use of AI.
Since many of the things people need from convenience to information are available
with just a mouse click away. As a consequence human being function more like
automations.
The development of science and technology gives rise to more complicated
issues. It is important that at the very least human beings should do is to protect and
exercise their rights for the benefit of everyone for common pursuit of the good life. The
word “social responsibility” in the real sense is being accountable to the appropriate
observance of ethical technological standards. Human beings must know their priorities,
values, norms, and principles. These constitute the grounds for their actions, decisions,
and define their contributions to the scientific technological usage and consequences.
The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive outcomes rather than negative
effects.
Brilliant physicists led by J. Robert Oppenheimer brought about the invention of
a deadly nuclear weapon. While it is a definite statement of the success of science and
technology as a highest expression of human rationality, the atomic bomb was also fatal
and destructive. During the Japanese-American War in 1945, over hundred thousand
people were killed in the bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Human beings are able to shape and destroy the world with science and technology.

C. Comparison of Traditional and Modern Way of Good Life

Humanity has come a long way from primitive ways and today it is said to be
more developed. Modern humans are dependent on technology in the search of the
good modern life, same as the people in the past. Today, technology has changed and
advanced a great deal compared to the past. Nowadays, it affects human life in
countless ways. It brings social change, educational change, agricultural change,
changes in leisure activities, and consumption habits. The following are some of the
major technologies of the modern world and the pre-digital versions.
 Traditional Modern
Telegram Internet
Gossip Twitter
Dinner Parties Facebook
Actual War Craft World of War Craft
The Plaque Swine Flu mass panic
Fires on Hills iPhones
Real Trojan Horse Viruses
Tribal Chants MP3s
Jousting OLED TVs
Superstition and Quack Doctors Post-Enlightenment Scientific Rigour