MODULE 5 83

Human Flourishing

HOW TO LEARN FROM THIS MODULE

Here’s a simple guide for you in going about the module:
1. Read and follow the instructions carefully.
2. Read each lesson and do all the activities provided for you.
3. Perform all the activities diligently to help and guide you in understanding the topic.
4. Take the Learning Activities after each lesson to determine how well you understood
the topic.
5. Answer the Assessment Task at the end of the module to measure how much you have
gained from the lessons. You may answer it via the online link provided or write your
answers on a sheet of paper that you can physically submit, or you may take a picture
of your answers and send it via messaging platforms with which you agreed with your
instructor during the class orientation.

INTRODUCTION

The question of what leads to or makes up a flourishing and happy human life
has been debated throughout the entire history of political and moral philosophy and,
more recently, in the social sciences such as economics and positive psychology.

Human flourishing leads to one’s happiness- the good life leads to constitute
the happy life. To flourish and to be happy involves an individual’s interpretation and
application of the generic goods and virtues. These goods and virtues are valuable
not solely as means to ones flourishing but also as partial realization of ones
flourishing. Human flourishing attains actually only through the joint employment of
the generic virtues with a person’s unique potentialities, talents, contexts, and
circumstances.

The progress of human civilization throughout history mirrors the development

of science and technology. The human person, as both the bearer and beneficiary of
science and technology, flourishes and finds meaning in the world that he/she builds.

After completing the module, you should be able to answer the following:
 What does it mean to be happy and to live a good life?
 How do we focus on what matters and live up to our own potential?
 Why do some people succeed while others merely get by?

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, the learner should be able to:

o Identify different conceptions of human flourishing

o Determine the development of the scientific method and validity of science;
and
o Critic human flourishing vis-à-vis progress of science and technology to be
able to define for themselves the meaning of a good life.

LEARNING CONTENT
Flourishing is a state where people experience positive psychological and
positive social functioning, most of the time ―living‖ within an optimal range of human
functioning’’. In psychology, happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being
which can be defined by, among others, positive or pleasant emotions ranging from
contentment to intense joy. Same as to behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of
emotions we experience when we do something good or positive.
For Neurologists, happiness is the experience of a flood of hormones
released in the brain as a reward for behavior that prolongs survival. The hedonistic
view of well-being is that happiness is the polar opposite of distress; the presence of
happiness indicates the absence of pain. Because of this, hedonists believe that the
purpose of life is to maximize happiness, which minimizes misery.
LESSON 1: Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing
The Aristotelian idea based on believed that
human flourishing requires a life with other people.
According to Aristotle, a famous Greek philosopher,
there is an end of all actions that we perform which we
desire for it. This is what known as ―eudaimonia‖,
flourishing, or happiness, which is desired for its own
sake with all other things being desired on its account.
Eudaimonia is a property of one’s life when we
considered as a whole. Flourishing is the highest good
of human endeavors and that toward which all actions
aim. It is a success as a human being.
Aristotle’s eudaimonia is formally egoistic in that a Fig.5.1 Aristotle
Source:[Link]
person’s normative reason for choosing particular actions /aristotle-the-purpose-of-life/
stems from the idea that he must pursue his own good or
flourishing. Because self-interest is flourishing, the good in human conduct is
connected to the self-interest of the acting person. Good means ―good for‖ the
individual moral agents. To flourish, man must pursue goals that are both rational for
him as individual and as a human being. Living rationally or consciously means living
dealing with the world conceptually

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What is Human Flourishing?

Human flourishing is defined as an effort to achieve self-actualization and
fulfillment within the context of a larger community of individuals, each with the right
to pursue his or her own efforts. It is also known as “personal flourishing” involves
the rational use of one’s individual human potentialities, including talents, abilities,
and virtues in the pursuit of his freely and rationally chosen values and goals. An
action is considered to be proper if it leads to the flourishing of the person performing
the action. It is at the same time, a moral accomplishment and fulfillment of human
capacities, and it is one through being the other. Self-actualization is moral growth
and vice-versa. Human flourishing arises as a result of different components such as
phronesis, friendship, wealth and power. Human Flourishing is the reward of the
virtues and values; it occurs when a person is concurrently doing what he ought to
do and doing what he wants to do. Happiness is the goal and reward of human
flourishing.
According to Aristotle, all humans seek to flourish. It is the proper and desired
end of all our actions. To understand something, one must understand its nature.
Four aspects of human nature:
1. Physical - requires nourishment, exercise and rest.
2. Emotional – we have wants, desire, urges and reactions. We all have emotional
need and wants.
3. Social being –we must live and function in the society where we belong.
4. Rational being- we are creative, expressive knowledge-seeking and able to obey
reason.
 An individual cannot truly flourish if he is not flourishing in one of the four
aspects of human nature.
 Human flourishing involves the rational use of one’s individual potentialities
such as talent, abilities and virtues.
 Human flourishing is a moral accomplishment and fulfillment of human
capacities.
 Self- actualization is a moral growth and vice versa.

To flourish, man must pursue goals that are both rational for him as individual
and as a human being. Living rationally or consciously means living dealing with the
world conceptually.

Principles of Human Flourishing

 Dignity of the human person - innate personal values or rights which demands
respect for all people, regardless of race, social class, wealth etc.
 Common good - sacrificing self-interest to provide for the basic human needs
of everyone makes the whole community flourish.
 Preferential option for the poor - when decisions are made by first considering
the poor.
 Subsidiarity - when all those affected by a decision are involved in making it.
 Universal purpose of goods - the Earth's resources serve every person's
needs, regardless of who "owns" them.

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 Stewardship of creation - duty to care for the Earth as a (God-given) gift is a

personal responsibility for the common good.
 Promotion of peace - everyone has the duty to respect and collaborate in
personal relationships, and at national and global levels.
 Participation - everyone has the right and the duty to take part in the life of a
society (economic, political, cultural, religious)
 Global solidarity - recognition that we are all interconnected part of one
human family.

Human Flourishing Today

Our concept of human flourishing today proves to be different from what
Aristotle originally perceived then. Humans of today are expected to become ―a man
of the world‖. The man supposed to situate himself in a global neighborhood,
working side by side among institutions and the government to be able to reach a
common goal. Competition as a means of survival has become passes: coordination
is the new trend.
Please click/ visit the link below:
Watch the “The [Link]
Magician’s Twin: CS ch?v=FPeyJvXU68k
Lewis and the case
against Scientism” using
READ the given link.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Let’s Watch and Learn!

(Lesson Check – Up)

After watching ―The Magician’s Twin: CS Lewis and the case against Scientism‖,
give your insights not limited to the following:
1. How is science and scientism defined by CS Lewis?
2. How are Science and Magic considered twins?

Submit your output through word or pdf format at _____________.

Rubric for Short Answer Question

5 points 4 points 3 points
The response indicates that the The response indicates that the student The response indicates that
student has a complete has a partial understanding of the concept. the student does not
understanding of the concept. The student has provided a response that demonstrate an
The student has provided a includes information that is essentially understanding of concept.
response that answers the correct, but the information is too general The student has provided a
question accurately and or too simplistic. Some of the support response that is inaccurate
completely. Necessary support and/or examples may be incomplete or and incomplete.
and/or examples are included. omitted.

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LESSON 2. Science and Technology and Human Flourishing

In today’s world, the role of science and technology is indispensable. We need
Science and Technology in every sphere of our life like to treat diseases such as
cancer or even to book a cab or train/flight ticket. In fact, without technology
(integrated with science), we cannot imagine our life per se. Human flourishing is
deeply intertwined with goal setting relevant to science and technology.
Martin Heidegger, a well-known German philosopher, examined the two usual
definitions of technology; means to an end and a human activity, because he
believed that this kind of confusing and there are questions to it that we easily
overlook. Heidegger’s statement: ―Technology is a human activity that we excel in as
a result of achieving science‖. The end goals of science and technology and human
flourishing are related in that the good is inherently related to the truth.
Science and technology must be taken as part of human life that merits
reflective and meditative thinking.
 Reflective thinking is an active, persistent, and careful consideration of a
belief or supposed form of knowledge, of the grounds that support that
knowledge, and the further conclusions to which that knowledge leads.
Reflective thinking involves ―consideration of the larger context, the meaning,
and the implications of an experience or action.
 Meditative thinking is a kind that thinks the truth of being, that belongs to
being and listens to it.
Science as Method and Results
Scientific Method is an organized way that helps scientists (or anyone)
answers a question or begin to solve a problem. It is an empirical method of
acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at
least the 17th century.
The Scientific Method
1. Observe and determine if there are unexplained occurrences unfolding.
2. Determine the problem and identify factors involved.
3. Formulate hypothesis that could explain the said phenomena.
4. Conduct experiment
5. Gather and analyze results
6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation
But throughout history, there exists heavy objections on the scientific
procedure; the line separating science and the so called ―pseudoscience‖ becomes
more cluttered.

Verification Theory
A discipline is a science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in the event of an
alternative hypothesis being accepted. It takes into account those results which are
measurable and experiments which are repeatable. A group of scholars, the Vienna
Circle believed that only those which can be observed should be regarded as
meaningful and reject those which cannot be directly accessed as meaningless.

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Falsification Theory
As long as an ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a
phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept the said ideology. But
allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by the verification theory. It also
encourages research in order to determine which among the theories can stand the
test of falsification.

Points to Think over on the Progress of Science and Technology

 Technology changes us—and the world around us—in countless ways.
Technology that eases our labor, for example, can detach us from a
meaningful sense of work.
 The various gadgets, machines, appliances, and vehicles are all tools that
make human lives easier because they serve as a means to an end.
 And as technology provides ever increasing knowledge, we quite reasonably
wonder whether such knowledge is being used to bring about a wiser, more
just world.
 The progress of human civilization throughout history mirrors th development
of science and technology. The human person, as both the bearer and
beneficiary of science and technology, flourishes and finds meaning in the
world that he/she builds. To be able to appreciate the fruits of science and
technology, they must be examined not only for their function and
instrumentality but also for their greater impact on humanity as a whole.
 What can cure disease also can encourage us to view the human body as
something to be engineered, modified, and immortalized. Techniques that
produce more food from less land can have ruinous, long-term effects on the
environment.
 Likewise, even as technology makes possible instant communication with
others around the world, it often creates distance between ourselves and
people near to us; while it enables unprecedented mobility, it can undermine
the stability necessary for families and communities to thrive.
 Technology has been a primary instrument in enabling them to pursue said
goal, utilizing resources, machineries and labor. The rapid pace of
technological growth allows no room for nature to recuperate, resulting in
exploitation and irreversible damages to nature. The world’s resources can
only provide so much; it cannot be expected to stretch out for everybody’s
consumption over a long time.
 Right now we are experiencing repercussions of said exploits in the hand of
man-made climate change, which would snowball and affect majority of flora
and fauna, driving half of the latter extinct in less than a hundred year from
now. If this continues in its currently alarming rate, we might bring about our
own extinction.

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o LEARNING ACTIVITY 2. Let’s Dig Deeper

o (Lesson Check – Up)

Choose atleast three (3) of the following items below. State a brief
history or discovery that brought about the invention or discovery of the
things stated below. State also its contributions in our scientific
development.
a. Gravity f. Radio
b. Telescope g. Benzene Ring
c. Processed Food h. Large Hadron Collider
d. Microscope i. Guns
e. Internet j. Cellphones
Submit your output through word or pdf format at ______________________.

On a clean sheet of paper, write your reflection on “What

do you think constitutes human flourishing?”.

 ASSESSMENT TASK
The Meaning of Life
Make a reflection paper on human flourishing particularly these following
questions:
 What do you value? In what way does what you value contribute to happiness
and meaning in your life?
 What, for you, are the indicators of success in life?
 What role do your relationships with others have in the development of
meaning in your life?
Submit your output through word or pdf format at
_______________________.
Rubric for the Activity
Developing
Criteria Exemplary (5) Proficient (4) Emerging (3)
(2)
Organization Information is very Information is The information Information is
organized with well- organized with appears to not only
constructed well-constructed disorganized disorganized
paragraphs, used of paragraphs and information is but inaccurate.

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subheadings and information is suspect to being

information is factual factual and correct. correct and factual
and correct.
Quality of Information clearly Information clearly Information has little Information
Information relates to the main relates to the main to do with the main has nothing to
topic. It includes topic. It provides 1- topic. do with the
several supporting 2 supporting main topic.
details and/or details and/or
examples. examples.
Mechanics No grammatical, Almost no A few grammatical, Many
spelling or grammatical, spelling or grammatical,
punctuation errors. spelling or punctuation errors. spelling or
punctuation errors. punctuation
errors.

Humans have evidently flourish when science and technology came and
made technologies that would make life easier from the small things to big
contributions this advancement have develop through time. Humans have
develop a lot of things that would even lessen manual labor also science
and technology made a big impact on flourishing of human education which
is very relevant in our society now a days.
While it is true that science equips its knowers some details about the
world, its main claim to objectivity and systematic methodology at the very
least flawed. However, that does not stop institutions to favor those who
excel in said discipline. Finally, the economic perception of enrichment,
otherwise known as growth, is heavily fluid by technology and should be
impeded. We have to rethink of our perception of a good life apart from one
presented in this regard.

 REFERENCES:
 Role of Science & Technology in Today’s (N.A), 2020. Accessed July
4, 2020 at
[Link]
gy/role_of_science_and_technology_in_todays_life.htm
 Serafica, Janice Prtia J., Pawilen, Greg T., Caslib Jr., Bernardo N. And
Alata, Eden Joy P., 2018 Science Technology and Society, pp. 50-62
 Younkins,E. (2010). ―Human Nature, Flourishing, and Happiness:
Toward a Synthesis of Aristotelianism, Austrian Economics, Positive
Psychology, and Ayn Rand’s Objectivism,‖ Libertarian Papers 2, 35
(2010).[Link]. Accessed June 20, 2020 at
[Link]

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