Science, Technology and Society: Unit 2 - The Good Life Vocabulary

50 vocabulary flashcards covering philosophical traditions, concepts, and key figures regarding 'The Good Life' from the Science, Technology and Society lecture transcript.

Colegio de Santa Rita de San Carlos, Inc.

The educational institution indicated on the title slides of the lecture presentation.

Mrs. Leilani B. Destajo

The instructor named in the presentation for the course Science, Technology and Society.

Prayer to Saint Rita

A prayer asking for grace to suffer in patience the miseries of life and for Saint Rita to be a refuge in all necessities.

Ancient Greek Ethics

A practical, lived approach to ethics focused on how a person should actually live and make daily choices rather than just knowing right from wrong.

Eudaimonia

A Greek term often translated as flourishing or human well-being, referring to living a fulfilling, meaningful, and successful life.

Aristotle

An ancient Greek philosopher who studied under Plato, tutored Alexander the Great, and wrote the Nicomachean Ethics.

Nicomachean Ethics

One of the key philosophical works written by Aristotle concerning ethics, virtue, and the good life.

Aristotle's Definition of Human Good

An activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.

Aristotle's Formula for the Good Life

Living actively combined with practicing virtue and developing human excellence.

Hedonia

The aspect of the good life that emphasizes pleasure, enjoyable experiences, feeling good, and avoiding pain or discomfort.

Examples of Hedonic Pleasures

Activities such as eating favorite foods, enjoying entertainment, relaxing, or spending time doing loved activities.

The Golden Mean

Aristotle's doctrine that virtue is a balance or mean state located between two extremes: excess and deficiency.

Virtue Ethics

An ethical approach viewing virtue as a practical skill built through repeated practice rather than an innate trait.

Courage (Aristotelian View)

The virtuous mean situated between the extreme of recklessness (excess) and cowardice (deficiency).

Hedonism

The philosophical view that pleasure is the highest good and pain is the greatest evil.

Cyrenaic and Epicurean Schools

Ancient Greek philosophical schools to which the origins of philosophical hedonism are traced.

Epicurus

An ancient Greek philosopher (341–270 BCE) who defined true pleasure as the absence of physical pain and mental disturbance.

Epicurean Ideal of Abundance

The principle expressed by the quote: 'Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes abundance.'

Ataraxia

The Epicurean ideal state of tranquility, characterized by freedom from mental disturbance and anxiety.

Sources of Mental Anxiety according to Epicurus

Unlimited desires, fear of death, and fear of the gods.

Modern Hedonism

A technology-driven pursuit of pleasure operating on fast reward loops engineered into social media, games, and apps.

Attention Economy Reward Loops

Features such as likes, notifications, and streaks designed to produce satisfying feelings that keep users engaged.

Stoicism

A philosophy teaching that the highest goods are good character and wisdom, while external circumstances are indifferent.

Zeno of Citium

The ancient philosopher who founded the Stoic school of philosophy.

Key Later Stoic Philosophers

Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius.

Indifferent External Things

The Stoic classification for items outside direct control, including other people's opinions, past events, and unexpected outcomes.

Epictetus' Core Principle

The rule stating: 'It’s not what happens to you, but how you react that matters.'

Dichotomy of Control

The Stoic framework dividing all matters into things we can control (choices, actions, attitudes) and things we cannot control.

Marcus Aurelius

A Roman emperor who practiced Stoicism while leading his empire through crises.

Emotional Resilience (Stoic View)

A mental capacity that can be actively trained rather than being a fixed personality trait.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory asserting that the good life consists of maximizing happiness and minimizing suffering for everyone affected.

Jeremy Bentham

The founder of Utilitarianism who established pleasure and pain as the ultimate measures of right and wrong.

John Stuart Mill

The utilitarian thinker who expanded Bentham's theory by distinguishing between higher and lower pleasures.

Greatest Happiness Principle

The rule that an action is good if it produces the greatest happiness and least suffering for the greatest number of people.

Higher Pleasures

Intellectual, emotional, and higher human capacities like learning, art appreciation, friendship, deep thinking, and knowledge.

Lower Pleasures

Basic or sensory pleasures that Mill considered less valuable than intellectual and human pursuits.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement focusing on human freedom, personal choice, responsibility, and creating one's own meaning.

Key Existentialist Thinkers

Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir.

Existence Precedes Essence

The existentialist concept that humans are not born with a predetermined purpose, but define their essence through choices and actions.

Condemned to be Free

Sartre's assertion that humans cannot escape making choices and must carry full responsibility for those choices.

Living Authentically

The existentialist definition of the good life, achieved by creating personal values and taking responsibility for actions.

Ginhawa

A Filipino concept of well-being, ease, relief, and wholeness encompassing physical, emotional, and social balance.

Kapwa

A Filipino ethical concept meaning 'the self in the other,' expressing shared identity, humanity, and connection to others.

Bayanihan

A Filipino tradition of collective community effort and mutual help, historically exemplified by moving a house together.

Filipino Ethics

A perspective prioritizing strong relationships, community cooperation, and concern for others over individual achievements.

Phronesis

Practical wisdom; the human ability to make good judgments and moral choices in real-life situations.

Role of AI in Flourishing

Automating routine and repetitive tasks to allow humans more time for learning, creation, and meaningful relationships.

Personal Philosophy of the Good Life

An individualized framework of values drawn from various philosophies that must be lived, tested, and revised through daily practice.

Environmental Stewardship

Using natural resources responsibly to ensure planetary flourishing, aligning with Stoic restraint and Filipino communal care.

Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index

A measure used by Bhutan to assess holistic human well-being and life satisfaction beyond standard economic metrics like GDP.