1. How Should We Live? Happiness, Human Flourishing, and the Good Human Life

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-57
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Laumakis
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Human Flourishing

What Theology Should and Should Not Learn from the Social Sciences About the Common Good

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary L. Hirschfeld
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Social Thought ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Catholic Social Thought ◽  
The Common Good ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Common

There are two ways to answer the question, What can Catholic social thought learn from the social sciences about the common good? A more modern form of Catholic social thought, which primarily thinks of the common good in terms of the equitable distribution of goods like health, education, and opportunity, could benefit from the extensive literature in public policy, economics, and political science, which study the role of institutions and policies in generating desirable social outcomes. A second approach, rooted in pre-Machiavellian Catholic thought, would expand on this modern notion to include concerns about the way the culture shapes our understanding of what genuine human flourishing entails. On that account, the social sciences offer a valuable description of human life; but because they underestimate how human behavior is shaped by institutions, policies, and the discourse of social science itself, their insights need to be treated with caution.

Schopenhauer’s Pessimism in Context

2020 ◽  
pp. 283-298
Author(s):  
Mark Migotti
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
History Of ◽  
Late Nineteenth ◽  
Early Eighteenth Century

In this chapter, the author attempts to establish what is philosophically living and what is philosophically dead in Schopenhauer’s pessimism. Against the background of the intriguing the history of the terms “optimism” and “pessimism”—in debates about Leibniz’s theodicy in the early eighteenth century and the popularity of Schopenhauer in the late nineteenth century, respectively—the author points up the distinction between affirming life, which all living beings do naturally, and subscribing to philosophical optimism (or pessimism), which is possible only for reflective beings like us. Next, the author notes the significance of Schopenhauer’s claim that optimism is a necessary condition of theism and explains its bearing on his pessimistic argument for the moral unacceptability of suicide. The chapter concludes that Schopenhauer’s case for pessimism is not conclusive, but instructive; his dim view of the prospects for leading a truly rewarding, worthwhile human life draws vivid attention to important questions about how and to what degree an atheistic world can nevertheless be conducive to human flourishing.

Joy as a Virtue: The Means and Ends of Joy

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-331
Author(s):  
Pamela Ebstyne King ◽  
Frederic Defoy
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Process ◽  
Narrative Identity ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Means And Ends ◽  
Developmental Science ◽  
Fruit Of The Spirit ◽  
Science And Theology

To grasp human flourishing and thriving, we must understand joy. However, no theoretical models explain the complexity of joy as a fruit of the Spirit, nor fully account for its impact on human life. We suggest that joy is best conceptualized as a virtue, a psychological habit, comprised of characteristic adaptations and given meaning by transcendent narrative identity. Thus joy involves knowing, feeling, and enacting what matters most. Developmental science and Christian theological approaches to teleology inform the ultimate ends to which joy is aimed. They suggest that telos, the purpose or goal of development, may be understood as a dynamic process that perpetuates human and social thriving and involves (1) the growing self, (2) mutually beneficial relationships, and (3) evolving moral guidelines that ensure an ongoing fit and flourishing of self and society. We synthesize developmental psychology, virtue science, and theology to propose a definition and framework for understanding the development of joy through thriving. In order to promote scholarship on joy and to elucidate its transformative nature, we discuss joy in light of discipleship, vocation, suffering, justice, and eschatology and identify issues for research.

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of Flourishing Scales From a Comprehensive Well-Being Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska ◽  
Piotr Bialowolski ◽  
Matthew T. Lee ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
Tyler J. VanderWeele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Financial Security ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Over Time

In this article, we develop a measure of complete well-being. The framework is derived from the theoretical model of human flourishing understood as a state in which all aspects of a human life are favorable. The approach extends beyond psychological well-being and reflects the World Health Organization definition of health that not only considers the health of body and mind but also embraces the wholeness of the person. The Well-Being Assessment (WBA) is a comprehensive instrument designed to assess holistic well-being in six domains: emotional health, physical health, meaning and purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security. Although each of these domains is distinct, all of them are nearly universally desired, and all but financial security constitute ends in themselves. Data were collected from a representative sample of working adults. A sample of 276 employees participated in the pilot, 2,370 participated in the first wave and 1,209 in the second wave of the survey. The WBA showed a good fitting (40 items, six factors), satisfactory reliability, test–retest correlation, and convergent/discriminant validity in relation to stability over time and relevant health measures, as well as a good fit to the data that were invariant over time, gender, age, education, and marital status. The instrument can be of use for scientists, practitioners, clinicians, public health officials, and patients. Adoption of more holistic measures of well-being that go beyond psychological well-being may help to shift the focus from health deficiencies to health and well-being promotion.

Проблема морального содержания права в концепции Дж. Финниса

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
V. Yu. Perov ◽  
A. D. Sevastianova
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Moral Content ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Common ◽  
Law And Morality ◽  
John Finnis

The law and morality the interrelation issue has been the subject for many discussions, recent works in the philosophy field and law ethics of renowned authors as H. Hart, L. Fuller and J. Finnis, who contributed significantly to the topic. The key question about the moral content of law is examined within the polemics between theorists of legal positivism and natural law legal theorists. This article touches upon this issue by the example of the concept of John Finnis, one of the most brilliant contemporary law philosophers, his neo-naturalistic concept of natural law includes some ideas of modern positivism. J. Finnis claims natural law appears as a set of principles of practical reasonableness for the ordering of human life and the human community. Law acts as a method to ensure “the common good” of the community and is based on seven self-evident, as he believes the basic human goods necessary for the human flourishing. The requirements of practical reasonableness compose the content of natural law, contain recommendations on how to carry out these self-evident goods. For Finnis, the aim of law is to provide conditions, according to the requirements of practical reasonableness, in which these seven goods can be realized. It is outlined that J. Finnis regards law as a social institute which purpose is to regulate human affairs, and thus to promote the creation of a community where everyone could realize the seven fundamental goods for humankind.

Human flourishing as a foundation for a new sustainability oriented business school curriculum: Open questions and possible answers

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 691-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard McKenna ◽  
Roberto Biloslavo
Keyword(s):  
Social Practice ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Business Students ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Moral Virtues ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Potential Capacity ◽  
Sustainability Curriculum

AbstractBecause ‘doing business’ significantly contributes to altering the Earth's atmosphere and depleting limited natural resources, business education should be re-oriented so that global sustainability is the core and economic sustainability a subset. The neo-Aristotelian foundation of this paper proposes eudaimonia (human flourishing) as a teleology, and divides human activity, particularly learning into technē (practical utilitarian skills) and phronesis (experience, insight, and intuition). By developing intellectual, affective, and moral virtues, business students can attain a meta-virtue of phronesis, which provides a potential capacity to deal with uncertainty, mutability, and duality of human life and development. The principles of social practice wisdom provide the basis of a proposed sustainability curriculum.

Human flourishing as a foundation for a new sustainability oriented business school curriculum: Open questions and possible answers

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 691-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard McKenna ◽  
Roberto Biloslavo
Keyword(s):  
Social Practice ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Business Students ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Moral Virtues ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Potential Capacity ◽  
Sustainability Curriculum

AbstractBecause ‘doing business’ significantly contributes to altering the Earth's atmosphere and depleting limited natural resources, business education should be re-oriented so that global sustainability is the core and economic sustainability a subset. The neo-Aristotelian foundation of this paper proposes eudaimonia (human flourishing) as a teleology, and divides human activity, particularly learning into technē (practical utilitarian skills) and phronesis (experience, insight, and intuition). By developing intellectual, affective, and moral virtues, business students can attain a meta-virtue of phronesis, which provides a potential capacity to deal with uncertainty, mutability, and duality of human life and development. The principles of social practice wisdom provide the basis of a proposed sustainability curriculum.

Global Human Rights, Peace and Cultural Difference: Huntington and the Political Philosophy of International Relations

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 5-34
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Kersting
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Political Realism ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Ethical Pluralism ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
The Face ◽  
Traditional Natural

SummaryIn 1989, the age of power political realism ended. The conditions were set to replace the prevailing Hobbesian model of peace by deterrence with the considerably more challenging Kantian model of peace by right. If, however, Huntington's paradigm of fighting civilizations were right, we would have to forget Kant and remember Hobbes. Sober rationality, healthy distrust, striving for power accumulation and all the other instruments from the realist's toolbox of political prudence are very well suited to facilitate political self-assertion in an age of violently clashing cultures. However, this helplessness is not well grounded. Considering that from the very beginning liberalism is a theory of religious and ethical pluralism and well-experienced in dealing with problems of multiculturalism, it is at least possible to argue for a weak liberal universalism which provides normative foundations for a global order of peacefully living together. Of course, conceptual and moral modesty is crucial. If the human rights doctrine wants to defend its universal claim in the face of cultural diversity (which is defined as culturally different interpretations of a good, true and perfect human life), it has to restrict itself to the conditions of esse: the pre-cultural and sheer natural conditions of human being and human coexistence. However, the formulation of the conditions of bene esse (which enable human flourishing, let persons thrive and furnish human living with sense and significance) has to be left to culture and its authorities and belief systems which buttress a cultural constitution of meaning, both theologically and metaphysically. Traditional natural rights theory knew that both have to go together, and that the esse-enabling duties necessarily enjoy priority. No cultural conception of thriving life and existential significance can be accepted which contradicts the fundamental imperatives and conditions of pure human existence and coexistence.

scholarly journals 道、技與自然——現代生物科技的莊子式批判

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-77
Author(s):  
Hongwen LI
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Moral Issues ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Digital Commons ◽  
Modern Biotechnology ◽  
Living Organisms

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.現代生物科技的廣泛應用引發了一系列社會、法律和倫理問題，它帶來的負面效應正如它的正面效果一樣多。現代生物科技的基本邏輯體現在：它採取還原論的思維模式，秉承改善生命的宗旨，以及持有技術樂觀主義的態度。作者運用莊子的哲學思想對現代生物科技展開一般性批評。作者指出，現代生物科技首先表現出強烈的反自然性，它向自然提出過分要求，干擾、阻止事物順其自然、按其本性來展示自己。現代生物科技還表現出異化特徵，主要體現在物質化和資本化兩個方面。物質化將人的活動限制在物的層面，片面追求物的有用性；資本化則導致生物資本主義的發展。用莊子道家的語言，技術的非自然性和異化的直接原因是“道”“技”分離。因此，為了走出現代生物技術的陷阱，應該採取莊子“道技合一”的方式，實現“技不離道”、“以道馭技”、“道法自然”之完美結合。Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses such as engineering, technology, and medical research. This paper highlights the social, legal, and moral issues brought about by modern biotechnology. It is particularly concerned with materialism, capitalism, and commercialism where biotechnological means are explored and exploited without ethical boundaries. The result of biotechnological abuse is that we human beings will become increasingly alienated from our authentic nature and being.Daoism was one of the major philosophical traditions of ancient China, based on the teaching of Laozi and Zhuangzi. This paper focuses on the Daoist view of human life and its relation to the natural world from Zhuangzi’s perspective. It will be contended that we must put “human flourishing” – the Dao – first, before we care about the utility of science and technology – the Ji. According to Daoism, true human self-realization depends on the unity between the Dao and the Ji.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 138 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

Citizens’ Democracy

2018 ◽  
pp. 141-156
Author(s):  
Maxwell A. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Functional Differentiation ◽  
Government Agency ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Legal Person ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Quality Of Democracy

Aristotle argued that the supreme good of human life was eudaimonia, which means happiness or flourishing. Scholars working on both human development and the quality of democracy have converged on the idea that democratic citizenship is part of human flourishing. Citizenship implies agency, the set of capabilities necessary to play a part in self-government. Agency has a basis in natural and cultural evolution: it emerged with the development of the self as a human person, as a legal person, and finally as a self-legislating sovereign. The functional differentiation of roles in a balanced constitution is necessary for human flourishing and the cultivation of the virtues associated with self-government.

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