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

Where do Social system – External Individual - Internal

Why we do Because society says it is the right thing to do. Because we believe in something being right or
it? wrong.

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

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

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

Acceptability Ethics are governed by professional and legal Morality transcends cultural norms
guidelines within a particular 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 technologyand 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 usefulit 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 leasthuman 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