Part 1: Introduction to Human Flourishing and Aristotle's Perspective
"Every living creature is meant to become what it is meant to be. The caterpillar
is meant to become a beautiful butterfly; a small seed into a full-grown herb, bush, or
tree; and a human baby into a mature person. The person “who is fully alive, the glory of
god” in the words of St. Iranaeus."
As we grow and develop, there are different factors that affect us. There are
different questions that need to be answered and there are steps and actions that
needed to be undertaken. Flourishing is the highest good of human attempt to achieve
his/her goal. It is a success as a human being when he/she achieved it for the
betterment of his/her life. The best life is one of excellent human activity. “eudaimonia”,
literally “good/spirited” is a term connected to renowned Greek Philosopher Aristotle
(385-323 B.C.) to describe the peak of human’s happiness that can be attained. The big
question is “how?”. How will you achieve your flourishing?
Part 2: Aristotle's Concept of Human Flourishing and Egoism
"Aristotle’s human flourishing arises as a product of different factors such as
phronesis, friendship, wealth, and power. The Ancient Greek society believed that for
the people to achieve the true meaning of happiness these qualities should be acquired,
which inn effect allow them to join in the greater notion of what we call GOOD."
For Aristotle, the good is what is good for purposeful and goal-directed entities.
He defines the good proper to human beings as the activities in which the life functions
specific to human beings are most fully realized. For Aristotle, the good of each species
is finality existing to that species. A person’s nature as a human being provides him with
guidance with respect to how he should live his life. A fundamental fact of human nature
is the existence of individual human beings each with his own rational mind and free
will. The highest or most general good to which all individuals should aim is to live most
fully a life that is proper to man. The proper function of every person is to live happily,
successfully, and well.
Part 3: Evolution of Human Societies and Western vs. Eastern Perspectives
"People found means to live more comfortably, explore more places, develop
more products, and make more money, and then the cycle is just repeating to suffice
their happiness. In the beginning, early people relied on animals for their transportation;
they relied on stones and spears to hunt food; they used the skin of animals to protect
their skin and used it as clothes; they used stones to make fire and lastly; they just lived
in a cave as their shelter. As time went by, there was a big change in the way the people
lived before and the way the people live today."
There is a difference between eastern and western ideas regarding society and
human flourishing. The Western Society where Aristotle is included tends to be more
focused on the individual, while those from the East are more community-centric.
Individual flourishing as an end then is primarily more of a concern for western
civilization. Eastern civilization puts the community above the individual. Community is
given the highest regard and that the individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of
the society.
