“Life is good!
It is only our thoughts, choices and actions
towards the situations we meet in life each moment of time
that makes life look bad! The same bad situation in life that
makes one person think badly inspires another to do a noble
thing! The same good situation in life that makes one person
feel so good to get into a bad situation inspires another
person to create another good situation because of the good
situation. It is all about thoughts, choices and actions! Life is
good! Live it well!”
- Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
Introduction
Aristotle’s theory rests largely on the ‘function argument’.
According to this theory, everything in the universe had a
purpose, dictated by the essential nature of a thing or creature:
just like the purpose of an acorn was to develop into an oak tree,
that of human beings was to develop their unique human
capacities, the most important of which was the ability to reason.
We are peculiar creatures: our bodies have needs. We experience
the world through particular senses, with certain things giving
us pleasure or the opposite. We have the capacity to reason
about ourselves and the world we live in.
The end, goal, purpose (or meaning) of human life is
to live well. We do this by accumulating, over the
course of our lives, all the real goods that correspond
to our natural needs; and we increase our chances of
having good lives by cultivating good habits.
Different people have different ideas about what a
good life is. For some it may consist of accumulating
wealth. For others, it is having power or being famous.
For some it might mean experiencing pleasure and so on.
If people construe the good life differently, if they have
different desires, how can there be one right plan for living
well? How can there be one final end that we all ought to
seek?
Given all these, can we come to any general conclusions
about what sorts of things tend to be conducive to a good
life?
Learning Objectives
1. Examine what is meant by a good life.
2. Differentiate intellectual virtues from moral virtues.
3. Determine the ethical standards in attaining a good
life.
4. Contemplate on the role of science and technology in
the attainment of a good life.
5. Conceptualize what a green economy is.
6. Describe the characteristcs of a green economy.
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)
• Greek philosopher; student of Plato, teacher of Alexander,
the Great.
• He wrote on: physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music,
logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, ethics, biology, and
zoology.
• His work in ethics and politics is still widely influential
today.
• He is one of the greatest thinkers in the history of western
philosophy.
• He believes that a good life begins with a consideration of
ends and means.
• That the final end of human life is to flourish, to live well,
to have a good life. All actions should aim at this end.
• In order to live - we need food, clothing, and shelter, but
living is itself the means to the end of living well; that
that living well is the final end for humans; it is not a
means to anything else.
• Aristotle thinks this is obvious because few people want to
live poorly.
Not all desires are the same. There are acquired
desires, which differ between individuals, and natural
desires, which are the same for everyone.
Acquired desires—(wants).
•the apparent goods. They appear good, that is why
we want them.
Natural desires—(needs)
•These are the real goods; things that are good for us
whether we want them or not.
The Good Life
The Good Life
• the possession of all those things that are really good for us.
• these are the natural needs that are the same for all of us.
• thus, what is good for one person is good for another.
Natural Needs
Bodily goods –
health, vitality, vigor, and pleasure
External goods –
food, drink, shelter, clothing, sleep
Goods of the soul –
knowledge, skill, love, friendship, aesthetic
enjoyment, self-esteem, honor.
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words;
watch your words, they become your actions;
watch your actions, they become your habits;
watch your habits, they become your character;
watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Developing Virtues
• developing good habits or good moral character
• examples are playing the piano, studying hard or thinking
well or avoid overeating or drinking too much.
Intellectual virtues – virtues of the mind
Moral virtues - disposition to choose correctly; the
right choice. They are the principal means to having
good lives because they allow us to habitually make the
choices that both constitute and lead to good lives.
Ex. Moderation / Courage / Justice
Does moral virtues guarantee a good life?
• Both knowledge of the good life and good habits may not be
enough because living well is not completely within our
control. ([Link]
• First - some real goods, like wealth or health, are not
completely within our power to possess.
• Second - we didn’t create the initial conditions of our birth
or the environment into which we were born.
• We also need to be fortunate or lucky. If we are wise,
virtuous, and fortunate we will have good, meaningful lives.
•The good life is the happy life.
•Happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the
totality of one's life
•Furthering the common good in turn furthers the good
of the individual -- > Human Flourishing
•One way of experiencing fullness and the totality of
one’s life is by taking part towards a way of life in a
“Green Economy”
The Green Economy
The Green Economy
Green Economy
•is one that results in increased human well-being and
social equity, while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological scarcities.
•one whose growth of income and jobs is driven by
investments that reduce carbon. Growth in emissions
& pollution, increase energy & materials efficiency, &
enhance natural comprehensive capital wealth.
• Low carbon
• Resource efficient
• Socially inclusive
A green economy can be achieved through :
• policy reforms
• regulation changes
These measures can maintain, enhance and rebuild natural
resources/capital.
These serves as a critical economic asset and as a source
of economic benefit which is considered by many as a
source of livelihood.
Principles of a Green Economy
1. It delivers sustainable development
2. It delivers equity (Justice Principle)
3. It creates genuine prosperity and wellbeing for all (Dignity
Principle)
4. It helps looks after the natural world
5. It is inclusive and participatory in decision
6. It is accountable. (Governance Principle)
7. It builds economic, social & environmental resilience
8. It delivers sustainable consumption and production
9. It invests for the future.
Green Jobs ([Link]
• work in agricultural, manufacturing, research & development
(R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute
substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality.
(UNEP)
• Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to
protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials,
and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-
carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid
generation of all forms of waste and pollution
SECTORS OF GREEN ECONOMY (Karl Burkart)
•Renewable energy
•Green buildings
•Sustainable transport
•Water management
•Waste management
•Land management
Conclusion
Science & Technology is also the movement towards good life.
Science & Technology are one of the highest expressions of our
human faculties. allowing us to thrive and flourish if we desire it.
Science & Technology may corrupt a person and with virtue, both can
help an individual to be out of danger.
Good life is related to Science. It is science that provides good life for
everyone and at the same time, it is the quest for good life that
fuels science. In this vast world where number of inventions are
rapidly growing, science made the lives of many convenient.
“Life is full of possibilities — you can’t control what happens to
you, but you can manage how you react”.
Points to Ponder
1. What does Aristotle say about the good life? Is his concept
still applicable in this contemporary world?
2. Differentiate intellectual virtues from moral virtues. Give
examples for each.
3. Is the progress in S&T a movement towards the good life?
Justify your answer.
4. What is a green economy? What are the three pillars of growth
in a Green Economy?
5. Identify one (1) environmental problem in your area. How do
you plan to manage this?
References
• [Link]
and-meaningful-life/
• [Link]
• [Link]
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• [Link]
initiatives/supporting-resource-efficiency/green-economy
• [Link]
principles-of-green-economy
