Module Code 單元編號 GEA1023 Module Title 單元名稱 MORALITY AND THE GOOD LIFE 道德價值與個人幸福 Module Synopsis 單元概要 What is the relation between the demands of morality and the good life of human beings? In various stages of their lives, people ask themselves "What should I do?" or "What are the best actions that I should perform now?" However, often what is good for the persons' well-being may not be the right action to do from a moral point of view. Then, it is debatable whether people should sacrifice their own interests for morality's sake, or rationality may require them to act immorally. In this course, our aim is to explore the conceptual relation between morality and the good life. We will study various conceptions of well-being, such as preference satisfaction theory, the view that people will live better if their preferences are satisfied, and hedonism, the view that people will live better if they have maximized pleasure, etc. We will also look at the relation between virtue and human well-being - as in both the ancient Greek and Chinese tradition, it is believed that the virtuous person's life is the happiest one. In this case, the demands of morality and those of the good life coincide with one another. We will see how far this is a tenable view.