HUMAN FLOURISHING AND DE- Europeans consume 4.

7 hectares-many times their fair

share.
DEVELOPMENT
What does this mean for our theory of development?
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
 Economist Peter Edward argues that instead of pushing
Dr. Jason Hickel poorer countries to "catch up" with rich ones, we should be
thinking of ways to get rich countries to "catch down" to
 Dr. Jason Hickel is an economic anthropologist, author, and
more appropriate levels of development.
a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is Professor at the
Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the
(wag makipag sabayan sa mayayaman na countries, be
Autonomous University of Barcelona, Visiting Senior
humble at makidamay)
Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at the
London School of Economics, and Chair Professor of
We should look at societies where people live long and
Global Justice and the Environment at the University of
happy lives at relatively low levels of income and
Oslo.
consumption not as basket cases that need to be developed
 He is Associate Editor of the journal World Development,
towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient
and serves on the Climate and Macroeconomics Roundtable
living.
of the National Academy of Sciences, the Statistical
(use of coupons and dumpster diving)
Advisory Panel for the UN Human Development Report,
the advisory board of the Green New Deal for Europe, the
 How much do we really need to live long and happy lives?
Harvard-Lancet Commission on Reparations and
Redistributive Justice, and the Lancet Commission on
in the US, life expectancy is 79 years and GDP per capita is
Sustainable Health.
$53,000. But many countries have achieved similar life
FORGET “DEVELOPING” POOR COUNTRIES, IT’S TIME expectancy with a mere fraction of this income. Cuba has a
TO “DE-DEVELOP” RICH COUNTRIES comparable life expectancy to the US and one of the
highest literacy rates in the world with GDP precipitate of
 This week, heads of state are gathering in New York to sign only $6,000 and consumption of only 19 hectares - right al
the UN's new sustainable development goals (SDGs). The the threshold of ecological sustainability. Similar claims
main objective is to eradicate poverty by 2030. Beyoncé, can be made Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and
One Direction and Malala are on board. It's set to be a Tunisia.
monumental international celebration. Given all the fanfare,
one might think the SDGs are about to offer a fresh plan for Yes, some of the excess income and consumption we see in
how to save the world, but beneath all the hype, it's the rich world yield improvements in quality of life that are
business as usual. The main strategy for eradicating poverty not captured by life expectancy, or even literacy rates. But
is the same: growth. Growth has been the main object of even if we look at measures of overall happiness and
development for the past 70 years, despite the fact that it's wellbeing in addition to life expectancy, number of low-
not working. Since 1980, the global economy has grown by and middle-income countries rank highly.
380%, but the number of people living in poverty on less
than $5 (£3.20) a day has increased by more than 11 billion. Costa Rica manages to sustain one of the highest happiness
That's 17 times the population of Britain. So much for the indicators and life expectancies in the world with a per
trickle-down effect. capita income one-fourth that of the US. In light of this,
perhaps we should regard such countries not as
 orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more underdeveloped, but rather as appropriately developed. And
growth. More progressive types tell us that we need to shift maybe we need to start calling on rich countries to justify
some of the yields of growth from the richer segments of their excesses.
the population to the poorer ones, evening things out a bit.
Neither approach is adequate. Why? Because even at (may mga countries na nakakpag adjust sa kanilang life
current levels of average global consumption, we're kahit mabab ang income nila kahit papano happy sila and
overshooting our planet's bio capacity buy more than 50% contented kasi hindi nila need makipag sabayan sa ibang
each year. In other words, growth isn't an option rich countries)
anymore - we've already grown too much. Scientists are
now telling us that we're blowing past planetary boundaries  The idea of "de-developing" rich countries might prove to
at breakneck speed. And the hard truth is that this global be a strong rallying cry in the global south, but it will be
crisis is due almost entirely to over consumption in rich tricky to sell to westerners. Tricky, but not impossible.
countries. According to recent consumer research, 70% of people in
middle- and high-income countries believe over
consumption is putting our planet and society at risk. A
 Right now, our planet only has enough resources for each similar majority also believe we should strive to buy and
of us to consume 18 "global hectares" annually-a own less, and that doing so would not compromise our
standardized unit that measures resource use and waste. happiness. People sense there is something wrong with the
This figure is roughly what the average person in Ghana or dominant model of economic progress and they are hungry
Guatemala consumes. By contrast, people in the US and for an alternative narrative. The problem is that the pundits
Canada consume about 8 hectares per person, while promoting this kind of transition are using the wrong
language. The use terms such as de-growth, zero growth
 or - worst of all - de-development, which are technically basis that is not dictated of the science itself . (ethical basis of
accurate but off-putting for anyone who's not already on Aristotle for his nichomachean ethics)
board. Such terms are repulsive because they run against  Everyone can live in good life yet what constitute a happy and
the deepest frames we use to think about human progress, contented life varies from the person to person.
and, indeed, the purpose of life itself like asking people to  Iba iba ang goals, perception and paraan for us to be happy.
stop moving positively through life, to stop learning,
improving, growing. ARE WE LIVING THE GOOD LIFE?

1. What standard could be used to define "good life"?

 Negative formulations won't get us anywhere. The idea of
“steady-state" economics is a step in the right direction and 2. How can the standard serve as a guide toward living the good
is growing in popularity, but it still doesn't get the framing life in the midst of scientific progress and technological
right. We need to reorient ourselves toward a positive advancement?
future, a truer form of progress. One that is geared toward
quality instead of quantity. One that is more sophisticated THE MAGICIAN'S TWIN: C.S. LEWIS AND THE CASE
than just accumulating ever increasing amounts of stuff, AGAINST SCIENTISM
which doesn't make anyone happier anyway. What is
certain is that GDP as a measure is not going to get us there  C.S Lewis posited "Science must be guided by some ethical
and we need to get rid of it. Perhaps we might take a cue basis that is not dictated by science itself.”
from Latin Americans, who are organizing alternative
EUDAIMONIA: THE ULTIMATE GOOD
visions around the indigenous concept of buen vivir, or
good living.  Eudaimonia or happiness- it is achieved only through a
rationally directed life
The west has its own tradition of reflection on the good life  Happiness na makukuha dito is pleasure (as human we tend to
and it's time we revive it. Robert and Edward Skidelsky feel them sexually, pleasure in the food we eat, one of the
take us down this road in his book, "How Much is important human need, it cannot be the ultimate good, it is a
Enough?" where they lay out the possibility of transitory impulses – dumadaan lang because after natin
interventions such as banning advertising, a shorter mafulfill ang pleasure contented kana so it passes, pleasure (
working week and a basic income, all of which would does not encompasses all aspects of life), wealth ( is the
improve our lives while reducing consumption. potential candidate for the ultimate good but the critic of
wealth will prove otherwise, kung mayaman tayo mabibili
 Either we slow down voluntarily or climate change will do natin ang gusto natin,) and fame and honor (many people
it for us. We can't go on ignoring the laws of nature. But todat seems to be motivated by desire to be known or to be
rethinking our theory of progress is not only an ecological famous, being a famous or powerful nakakatakot kasi may
imperative, it is also a development one. 1f we do not act responsibility ka to please other to serve you, hindi lahat
soon, all our hard-won gains against poverty will evaporate, iidolohin ka. one strives to be honor and famous.
as food systems collapse and mass famine re-emerges to an
extent not seen since the 19th century. This is not about EUDAIMONIA: UNIQUELY HUMAN
giving anything up. And it's certainly not about living a life
of voluntary misery or imposing harsh limits on human  Eudaimonia is what defines as the good life; is only possible
potential. On the contrary, it's about reaching a higher level by living a life of virtue.
of understanding and consciousness about what we’re
doing here and why.  ARISTOTLE'S TRIPARTITE SOUL

THE GOOD LIFE

ARE WE LIVING THE GOODLIFE?

Kuntento batoyo? Masaya ba tayo? What is our perception in good

life?

ARISTOTLE'S NICHOMACHEAN ETHICS AND THE GOOD

LIFE

Aristotle – 384 – 322 BC

- This illustrates the hierarchy of the functions and
 One of the important person in ancient Greek philosophy activities of the soul. The degrees and function of the
 Greek philosopher soul are rested such that the one which has a higher
 Together with Plato and Socrates degree of soul has all over the lower degrees.
 Plato, Socrates and Aristotle are considering the great 3 of
the Greek philosophy. 1. nutritive (plant)
≈ all living things stands animals an
Nichomachean Ethics
human
 Sa isang documentary film ni S.C Lewis, The Magicians ≈ requires nourishment and growth have
Twin, scientism – science must be guided by some ethical the ability to reproduce
 ≈ source of energy of both animals and UN Development Programme characterizes this approach as one that
humans 'leads to better and more sustainable outcomes by analyzing and
≈ growth nutrition and reproduction addressing the inequalities, discriminatory practices and unjust power
relations which are often at the ehart of development problems. It
2. sensitive (animals)
puts the international human rights entitlements and claims of the
≈ only animals an humans have the
people (the 'right-holders') and the corresponding obligations of the
ability to move and perceive state (the 'duty bearer') in the center of the national development
≈ locomotion perception debate, and it clarifies the purpose of capacity development.”
3. rational (humans)
≈ only humans are capable of theoretical
and practical function
≈ human possess nutritive, sensitive and
rational degrees of the soul
≈ happiness can be only achieved by a
rationally directed life

ARETE AND HUMAN HAPPINESS

To leave a good life is to live a happy life

For Aristotle eudaimonia is possible by living a life of virtue

Arete - excellence of any kind; moral virtue

Two Types of Virtue

 Intellectual Virtue – virtue of thought, achieved through

education time and experience, key intellectual virtues are
wisdom – which guides ethical behavior and understanding
which is gained from the scientific endeavors and
contemplation. From the word intelligence, we gained
knowledge and wisdom.

 Moral Virtue – virtue of character, achieved through

habitual practice,

Some Key Moral Virtue

1. Generosity – repeatedly being unselfish, help

others.
2. Temperance – repeatedly resisting and foregoing
3. Courage – repeatedly exhibiting proper action and
emotional response. WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US?
CAN YOU IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HUIMAN RACE?

WHAT THEN IS THE GOOD LIFE? Willian Nelson Joy wrote an article from 2001 “Why the future
doesn’t need us?” The 21st century technologist-genetics,
 The good life in the sense of eudaimonia is the state of being nanotechnology and robotics (GNR) – are becoming more powerful
happy, health and prosperous in the way one thing lives and that they can potentially bring about new classes of accidents, threats
acts the path to the good life consist of the virtues thought and and abuses.
character which from relative mediators to extremes of excess
and deficiency, in this way the good life is understood as Wiliam Nelson Joy
happiness brought about by living a virtues life.  American, computer scientist and also the chief of SUN
MICROSYSTEMS

2 years ago, sinasabi na ang covid daw ay ginawang defense ng

WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY China para masakop ang ibang country. They used the term
CROSS biohacking – from the genes and also the viruses and also the
bacteria, dun sya na create and yun ang gingawa nilang weapon.
Human rights in the face of scientific and technological advancement
are critical factors in one's journey toward eudaimonia. Joy also said that robotics, genetics engineering and nanotechnology
pose much greater threats than technological developments that have
S. Romi Mukherjee come before. So he particularly that the ability of nanobots to self-
replicate which could quickly get out of control. In the article, he
"[It] seeks to place concern for human rights at the heart of how the
cautioned humans against overdependence on machines.
international community engages with urgent global challenges. The
From a book wrote by Theodore Kaczynski - Unabomber
Manifesto-he described that the unintended consequences of the
design and the use of technology are clearly related to Murphy's
Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

(para siyang domino effect, lahat ng nagawa mong mali mag fall
down siya sa mali parin kasi nag start ka sa maling step.)

Kaczynski further argued that overreliance on antibiotics let to the

great paradox.

The paradox of emerging antibiotic-resistant strains of dangerous

bacteria such as the introduction of
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) to combat malarial
mosquitoes.

He also give rise to malaria parasites, with multi drug resistant gene.
Once we undergo self-medicate sa antibiotics the more a nag take
tayo ng drugs na not prescribed by the doctor, that bacteria or virus
will build ng resistant to that antibiotics which causes that illness to
be worsen and once taken with that medication, our body will not
accept that medication and that will results to a higher dosage of
antibiotic.

John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid, said in an article A Response

to Bill Joy and Doom-and-Gloom Technofuturists., (they consider
social factors and all only debatably focus on the larger picture.
Other people go focus on one accusing joy being a neo-Luditte -
someone rejects new technologies and shows technophobic leanings.

Lahat ng sobra ay nakasama, may mga downside ang atin

technologies. If we misuse technology, hindi lang sya nakakasama sa
atin personally, kundi sa well being din natin, sa ibang tao and also
sa environment.

As a material Joy’s article to host the unpleasant and uncomfortable

possibilities that a senseless approach to scientific and technological
advancements may bring. The proposition of Joy is what are the real
possibilities or an absolute moon shoot. It is unavoidable to think of a
future that will no longer need the human race. It makes thinking
about the rules of obligation or every stakeholder a necessary
component of specific technological advancement.

Our government want our country be like other countries like, Russia,
Japan na high tech ang kanilang technology kesa sa atin.