Introduction.

The notion of The Good Life has been a question that has been plaguing philosophers since its dawn. What is it? How does one achieve it? Does such a thing exist? Is it universal? Does it matter? This report will attempt to seek out some sort of explanation for the Good Life, and in the process answering some questions such as: what is it? How may one achieve it? This report will attempt to answer such questions by drawing upon personal reflection, knowledge of a key philosophical constructs (in Utilitarianism), an example of utilitarianism in the Superhero, and general background knowledge of other philosophers who had their own ideas on how to live The Good Life and perhaps on how they would respond to Utilitarianism. Finally, this report will be concluded by a personal perspective on the Good Life, and whether it is achievable or not.

Utilitarianism is a philosophical construct most famous for its positing of the “greatest happiness principle”.[1] The greatest happiness principle states that one should aim for the greatest happiness possible for the most amounts of people. However, utilitarianism has varied over time, and as a result, there are many schools of thought beyond the greatest happiness principle with regard to how one should act for the greater good, for the greater amount of people. Such examples include: negative utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, and consequentialism. Consequentialism is the idea that only the outcome matters with regard to moral decisions, and not the motive. Rule utilitarianism is essentially act utilitarianism, but rule utilitarianism acts under an unequivocal law that must be followed. Negative utilitarianism seeks to try and minimize sadness, rather than try to maximize happiness[2].

This report will also discuss some philosophical theories put forth by Aristotle and Friedrich Nietzsche. On the Aristotelian front, Aristotle will be sized up against the idea of utilitarianism, and his idea of the mean will be analysed and compared against with respect to utilitarianism. Most of the information provided from Aristotle is derived from Nicomachean Ethics Books 1 and 2. This report will also investigate what Nietzsche believes to be the Good Life briefly, before going into depth on why he holds utilitarians to be “boneheaded”.

A contemporary example of the utilitarian ideal will then be analysed, in the form of a discussion about the modern day superhero, and how he/she has incorporated utilitarian ethics into his/her work. This idea of the superhero then will be put in an Aristotelian view with regard to the mean and achieving Eudaimonia, and then by comparing the modern day superhero to Nietzsche’s Ubermensch.

Ultimately however, the function of this report is to discuss with personal reflection on whether or not happiness can lead to the Good Life, whether it may be morally through arbitrary deduction, or whether one can logically support whether Happiness can lead to the Good Life.

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[1] Hruschka, J. The Greatest Happiness Principle and Other Early German Anticipations of Utilitarian Theory, Utilitas, 3: pg 165-77.

[2] Philosophy ½ Notes: Ethics, Utilitarianism, Negative/Act/Rule.