PHIL1102 12749 Intro Contmporary Moral Issues SEC 01 Fall 2013
Svetlana Krasnopolskaya
What is the highest good?

Summum bonum. This Latin expression has been one of the cornerstones of philosophy since the ancient times. Many ordinary people as well as reputable philosophers attempted to define the concept of «the highest good» applicable for any individual in the world. However, for different people that state of good appealed differently. Some ascribed this condition to having good friends and family, other valued health, third searched for love, forth seen it in pleasure. The challenge to formulate a universal determinant of well being that would fit all mankind may appear unreal to accomplish; nevertheless, I believe there is one thing that lays in the basis of the humanity’s strives towards the ultimate good and the well living.
It is hard to disagree that every person has his personal insight on what constitutes the highest good, and this perception is always unique, unprecedented, and applies exclusively to its possessor and creator. Obviously, the consequence of such diversification in opinions is a great variation in actions undertaken to sustain and actualize them. If one wants to be healthy, he exercises regularly and sticks to healthy diet. If one is concerned with being loved and sharing commitment, he consciously (and subconsciously) searches for a person to create the relationships by, for instance, going out regularly or creating an account on a dating website. When one strives for peace and harmony, he tries to avoid conflicts and confrontations, calls for rational consensus and mutual agreement, and votes against the military interference. The list can be extended infinitely because these individual desires to account for are unlimited. However, the one’s comprehension of the highest good is not limited to one thing; it is usually comprised from many different aspirations and needs, fulfillment of which is necessary to make the person feel good. In this case, the hallmark of “the highest good” is its desirability for itself, whereas its components are desirable only for their sake.
Since the collections of these components differ drastically (or not so much) from human to human, there is no chance to create one uniform formula or recipe of living a good live. However, we surely can refer to it as to the process of self-striving on the way of constant live and self-improvement. It is clear that every person approaches this process differently. Sure, the actions may vary in their form, but not in their purpose. This distinctive human phenomenon is called self-realization. In fact, implication of all human actions and aspirations is actuation of this process that subsequently leads to incarnation of changes necessary to satisfy certain needs and desires. The ultimate state of highest good can be only achieved through realization of internal potential, physical and psychological independence, and ability to reveal an authentic self. Therefore, this process and its performance constitute the foundation of the good life, serving as the indispensable basement bricks in the monument of human existence. What is more, it is aimed not to show how differently the goodness may be achieved, but to demonstrate the common underlying idea of all the human actions.
Self-realization is the core of the “living good” concept; however, some limitations should be imposed on this process in order to allow everyone to perform their missions properly and harmlessly. The greatest and most important restriction is ethics. Individual should carefully consider not only self-benefits of his behavior, but also its impacts and further consequences on surrounding communities and future generations. For instance, the one may want to build a house in the woods and determines the most desirable location as the middle the woods. The easiest way would be to cut down trees and completely clear a certain site for the construction. Yes, by doing so the one will realize his intension, but would it be ethical? Such action will destroy the ecosystem, deprive many wild forest inhabitants from their homes, pollute the environment, etc. Or what if a bank accountant decides to increase his fortune by swindling and reporting the wrong data? Sure, it would do well for him, but would it contribute to the well being of his employers, bank clients, or investors? Would these people feel good under the pressure of being fired or bankrupt because of one’s unethical behavior? The point is that the true highest good can be achieved only through ethically justified actions of self-realization; otherwise it will negatively affect and restrain others on their way towards a good life.
All in all, the definition of the highest good and the good live is individual for every person and is customized according to the unique desires and needs. No general rule can be drawn to delineate the uniform steps or actions required to achieve these states. Even though, we can formulate the core idea and the main tool of striving-towards-the-good-life process. Self-realization with obedience to the ethical norms is the key to the living decently, since it allows individual to liberate from the inflicted dogmas, beliefs, and opinions, openly reveal his personality, and fully release his potential. Being independent and capable of following his own way is vitally important for a person who is paving his way towards the highest good.