UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Biglang Awa St., Corner Catleya St., EDSA, Caloocan City
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
SUBJECT CODE: GEC 007
TOPIC OR LESSON: THE GOOD LIFE
WEEK: 7
SUB-TOPIC/S: NONE
OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC
This lesson gives understanding in order to answer question such as “what does it really mean to live
a good life?”. This lesson aims to examine shared concerns that make up the good life in order to
come up with innovative, creative solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical standards
Are you ready? Prepare your pen and paper and be ready to explore your journey in learning!
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
After going through this module, you are expected to:
a. Examine shared concerns that make up the good life in order to come up with innovative,
creative solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical standards.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
a. examine what is meant by a good life;
b. identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a good life; and
c. recognize possibilities available to human being to attain the good life.
ENGAGE
In the previous lesson, you learned about the Greek word “eudaimonia” which means “happiness”.
Write down at least five (5) things that you think will help you achieve eudaimonia on a personal
level.
EXPLORE
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For this activity you will be needing the following: Papers, marker, coloring materials, colored
magazines, glue, pictures from the internet, etc.
Using the materials listed above, make collage by cutting pictures in magazines or newspapers that
demonstrate how technology has made the man’s desire for a happy life more realizable. You may opt
to make a digital collage by using pictures from the internet. Write a short paragraph describing your
collage.
EXPLAIN
The Good Life as Perceived by Different School of Thoughts
1. Aristotle and the Good Life
Aristotle is first thinker who dabbled into the complex problematization of the end goal of
life: happiness. Unlike his teacher and predecessor, Plato, who thought that that things in this world
are not real and are only copies of the real in the world of forms, Aristotle claimed that this world is
all there and that this world is the only reality we can all access. In contrast to Plato, he forwarded the
idea that that there is no reality over and above what the senses can perceive. As such, it is only by
observation of the external world that one can truly understand what reality is all about.
Source: Freepik.com
Just as a seed undergoes change from being a potential plant, eventually germinates, and
grows into an actual plant, so do human beings with potential aspire for their actuality. Aristotle
argues that every human being moves according to some end. Based from the previous lessons, this
end is happiness.
The happiness that Aristotle means is not the usual happiness that you feel when you win a
contest or get a high grade. What he actually means is human flourishing, the kind of contentment in
knowing that one is getting the best out of life.
2. Materialism
This school of thought started with the atomists of
Ancient Greece. Democritus and Leucippus led a school
whose primary belief is that the world is made up of and is
controlled by the tiny indivisible units in the world called
“atomos” or seeds. Accordingly, the world including human
beings, is made up of matter and there is no need to possess
immaterial entities as sources of purpose. Atoms simply
comes together randomly to form the things in the world. As
such, only material entities matter
In terms of human flourishing, matter is what makes
us attain happiness. The material things we possess give us
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ultimate happiness. We see this at work with most people who are clinging on to material wealth as
the primary source of meaning of their existence.
Source: Vectorstock.com
3. Hedonism
The Hedonists believe that the end goal of life is in acquiring pleasure. To them life is
obtaining and indulging in pleasure because life is limited. They believe that pleasure give meaning to
their life without thinking of the future. The mantra of this school of thought is the famous, “Eat,
drink and merry for tomorrow we will die”.
4. Stoicism
Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the stoics, exposed the idea that to generate
happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The original term apatheia, precisely
means to be indifferent. These group believe that they can do things at their own and believe that
happiness can only be attained by a careful practice of apathy. In this point of view, people should
accept that there are some things that are simply not within our control and the sooner they realize it,
the happier they will become.
5. Theism
Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as the fulcrum of their existence. The
Philippines, as 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. They believe that this world is only temporary and
that eternal bliss can be achieved when we they finally return to the hands of God.
6. Humanism
Humanism as another school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his own
destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God that monitors and controls. For
humanists, man is literally the captain of his own ship. They see themselves not merely as stewards of
the creation but as individuals who are in control of themselves and the world outside them.
As a result of the motivation of the humanist current, scientists eventually turned to
technology in order to ease the difficulty of life. Scientists of today meanwhile are ready to confront
more sophisticated attempts at altering the world for the benefit of humanity. Some people now are
willing to tamper with time and space in the name of technology.
ELABORAT
E
In this activity, you will be asked to watch the documentary entitled “That Sugar Film” (2014).
Afterwards, write a short essay answering the question:
Is there a need to regulate the production of sugar-based products for consumers to reduce
their consumption if they are to journey toward the good life?
EVALUATE
In this activity, you will be asked to write a reflection paper on the relationship of good life and
science.
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RUBRIC FOR ESSAY
5 4 3 2 COMMENTS
Focus The topic is focused The topic is focused The topic is too The topic is not
narrowly enough for but lacks direction. broad for the scope clearly defined.
the scope of this of this assignment.
assignment.
Content The paper The paper The paper The paper does not
demonstrates that the demonstrates that the demonstrates that demonstrate that
author fully author, for the most the author, to a the author has fully
understands and has part, understands and certain extent, understood and
applied concepts has applied concepts understands and applied concepts
learned in the lesson. learned in the lesson. has applied learned in the
concepts learned in lesson.
the lesson.
Structure Ties together For the most part, ties Sometimes ties Does not tie
information from all together information together together
sources. No spelling from all sources. information from information.
and grammar mistake Minimal spelling &/or all sources. Unacceptable
grammar mistakes. Noticeable spelling number of spelling
& grammar and/or grammar
mistakes. mistakes.
REFERENC
ES
Serafica, J. J., Pawilen, G. T., Caslib, B. N., Jr., & Alata, E. P. (2018). Science, Technology, and
Society (1st ed.). Manila: Rex Book Store.
Youtube: That sugar film açúcar_ legendado 2014.mp4. (2018, April 07). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9gUjN9xELc
Images:
https://image.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-plant-growth-stages-young-seed-growing-ground-
green-plants-soil-spring-sprout-blooming-stage-illustration-set-germination-sprout-timeline-garden-
seedling-process_229548-300.jpg
https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/young-girl-on-a-shopping-spree-vector-609793
ADDITIONAL
MATERIALS
Reading Material:
Book VI and Bk X Nichomachean ethics of Aristotle
Prepared By:
EDMUN T. ANDRADE
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