Name
Capella University
PHI FPX 2000
Prof. Name
November, 2024
Ethics, Happiness, and the Good Life
Ethics generally concerns right and wrong or morals on the whole concerning principles that guide people to practice desirable behavior and avoid undesirable ones resulting in welfare. For most ethicists, happiness which is described as a state of well-being or satisfying condition, has a very close relationship with ethical living. For example, the Aristotelian form of eudaimonia which interprets the good life, or flourish envisages that true happiness can only be achieved through the process of good living and fulfillment of potential (Bakracheva, 2020). Other thinkers like John Stuart Mill could state that happiness as the quality of pleasure minus the intensity of pain is the thing that virtue could be linked to. It is therefore suggested that the purpose and goal of life is to live a moral life for this guarantees balance and a fulfilled life. It can even progress up to personal satisfaction as to doing good for society at large.
Definition of Happiness and a Well-Lived Life or the Good Life
Happiness has to do with a state of well-being, which can easily defined as the general notion of being happy. Indeed, it remains quite individualized in terms of persons and their values, their needs, and wants in their lifetime and environment (Ciulla, 2020). Philosophers and psychologists alike have analyzed the concept of happiness: to some, it may be a short-lived emotion associated with an object outside in life but to others, it is something constant, which arises out of the blue as it were as a result of leading a virtuous life. Therefore, Aristotle was able to define happiness as eudaimonia-again flourishing as a result of excellent functioning and optimum realization of the self. Modern views associate happiness with what is outside – relatives and accomplishments, as well as with inside – gratitude and being here and now.
A “rational” life and the concepts of well-being are significantly broader than the subjects of hedonistic gain and ordinary prosperity. It suggests a reason, interaction, and functional living according to one’s values. To some, it will lead to productive work, procreation, interpersonal affection, identity, and self-actualization (Ciulla, 2020). Temperance, courage, and endurance for instance are part and parcel of the good life according to the Stoic philosophers. But more modern writers refer to the relationship between liberty and authority. Last of all, a good life would be a phenomenon that links happiness at the level of personal living as well as overall satisfaction with the ethical quality of existence.
Utilitarianism Ethical Theory
One example of an ethical theory in terms of which opinions of actions to be taken were given is utilitarianism which regards views of the notion of utility as total happiness or total suffering (Savulescu et al., 2020). The philosophy of utilitarianism and its evolution was set by two philosophers, Bentham and Mill. In utilitarianism, that which is moral or immoral of an action depends on the consequence of an action and not the motive. When searching for a solution for a certain problem, Bentham perfected a methodology that involved measuring pleasures and pains. Mill carried further this, pointing out that there exist qualitative differences between pleasure feelings, and that pleasures, intellectual and moral are greater than physical pleasure. The utilitarian theory gives the opinion that the right action is the one that will benefit the greatest number of people and hence is the most suitable approach for handling ethical issues in individual, societal, and political life.
Core Values and Their Relationship to the Definition of “The Good Life”
Self-positives are the foundational views that help govern conduct, choice, and ambitions in a person’s life and are significant for the picture of the good life (Kim et al., 2022). the virtues include honesty, empathy, professionalism, stewardship, and reverence-asset attributes that bring the intended purpose and richness in people’s existence into perspective. The concept of the most fulfilling life corresponds to the interaction of action and character in terms that bring immediacy and order to life. For example, an honest value will help with maintaining actual honest relationships that will sum up into depth and trust, which can be regarded as characteristics of happiness. Such values as compassion and empathy would thus enable students to provide an increased positive impact on people’s quality of life and increased value and satisfaction. Ethical values are extremely often embedded in philosophical conceptions of the good life and/or the living of virtues. Coming up with the concept of flourishing Aristotle got to the point of stressing that living by virtue means living well. When people align their lives with some standard they have in place, today people’s degree of satisfaction and their wellbeing increases.
The Most Important Personal Value
As to what important value a person has to uphold, it is not the same for each, however for most, it starts with integrity which is the forming base of all the values that are instilled. The concept of integrity refers to being truthful and genuinely motivated in both thought and conduct. This aspect is very important since it fosters trust not only in interpersonal relationships but also in business, and even in society (Sudrajat et al., 2024). Honesty is about a man or woman, living and working according to some basic principles of behavior, which means that the words and deeds of that individual are in harmony. This leads to so much personal respect and of course gets the respect of others too, in life. Integrity is also a guide when there is conflict, helps one to make decisions on some issues that are going around in circles, and teaches people to choose between two right options. When people live by integrity, then they maintain the culture of trust and this means that you are assured that things will be done the right way. Then this comes as a strong glue that supports and fosters relations and togetherness in a community. In the working environment, this would foster ethical behavior and accountability and in return shape a fair and respectful culture.
Ethical Obligation to Others Related to the Definition of Happiness and the Good Life
The ethical requirement to other persons is highly tied to concepts of well-being and good human life because to live well means to put into a positive state of other people (Borrelli et al., 2023). Mutual happiness is not only possible under these circumstances, but is brought in, by ethical duties to others – people should be treated with kind, fairness,s or sincere honor. Performance of such duties, which are conducive to a good life in and of themselves, promotes trust, cooperation, and loving relationships between persons. “My acts of generosity and pity lifted others; it also helped me.” Hence, an ethical life towards others means that it delivers not just a good life for self-satisfaction but a common vision of goodness and equilibrium in a community.
PHI FPX 2000 Assessment 1 Conclusion
Finally, the pursuit of happiness and the good life is closely connected with problems of ethics, values, and responsibility towards others. So happiness is not a state, but rather an outcome as when someone has led a good life, and nurtured good relationships (Waterfield et al., 2022). Such fundamental beliefs as integrity and care cause people to decisions with the actions that constitute their purpose and bring private and public utility. Other-directed moral duties serve to buttress such conceptions of trust, justice, and compassion and make the existence of society’s peace not merely imaginable, but also feasible. The good life then, understood in its totality points towards the ideas of living in a balanced and purposeful life, one that aims at harmonious happiness whose foundation is grounded on virtuous conduct and the values of the universal good.
PHI FPX 2000 Assessment 1 References
Bakracheva, M. (2020). The meanings are ascribed to happiness, life satisfaction, and flourishing. Psychology, 11(01), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2020.111007
Bagozzi, R. (2020). Some thoughts on happiness, well-being, and a meaningful life for academics. Review of Marketing Research, 137–169. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1548-643520200000017014
Borrelli, I., Rossi, M. F., Melcore, G., Perrotta, A., Santoro, P. E., Gualano, M. R., & Moscato, U. (2023). Workplace Ethical Climate and Workers’ Burnout: A Systematic Review. Clinical neuropsychiatry, 20(5), 405–414. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230502
Ciulla, J. B. (2020). Ethics and Effectiveness: The Nature of Good Leadership. The Search for Ethics in Leadership, Business, and Beyond, 50(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38463-0_1
Kim, S., Jeong, S. H., & Seo, M. H. (2022). Nurses’ ethical leadership and related outcome variables: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(7), 2308–2323. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13726
Savulescu, J., Persson, I., & Wilkinson, D. (2020). Utilitarianism and the pandemic. Bioethics, 34(6), 620–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12771
Sudrajat, Agustina Tri Wijayanti, & Gautam Kumar Jha. (2024). Inculcating honesty values in boarding school: a study in Muhammadiyah boarding school Yogyakarta. AL-ISHLAH Jurnal Pendidikan, 16(1), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v16i1.4501
Waterfield, D., & Barnason, S. (2022). The integration of care ethics and nursing workload: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(7), 2194–2206. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13723
