Honors: Flourishing Together

A human life is composed of activities. A good human life is composed of worthwhile activities done well. The basis of this course was to work toward a common good by applying knowledge, skills, and perspectives demonstrated through course content. This Symposium course developed an account of human flourishing, both as an individual and in the community. This course made the argument that humans cannot flourish in isolation, they flourish together. We as human beings become enmeshed with other humans beings. In this way, our good comes to be partially constituted by the good of others. Hence we can only flourish together. It is natural then for humans to desire a harmonious community in which each individual strives for a balance of their own good with the common good. This course makes the argument, via Aristotelian virtue ethics, that (at least under certain conditions) this need not be a zero-sum, either/or choice. Human flourishing is flourishing together.

Many citizens of Farmville fall below the poverty line and cannot easily afford food to provide for their families. The poverty rate is 33.1% and the median household income is less than $40,000. Linked below is the class’s course project on the development of a proposal for how unused food items from Dorrill Dining Hall can be redistributed to help address hunger in the Farmville area. The deeper purpose of this project would create the opportunity for students to enmesh with members of the community and in some small way, further facilitating human flourishing in Farmville.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zUg4pHkt2y-XF00XAlnyKetG3Old1PZDiUeSAYkZxjA/edit?usp=sharing

Activities in this course not only taught me a lot in an area I’m not very familiar with (primarily philosophy) but it also helped me develop and expand upon my current worldview and communicate with others in a respectful manner that may or may not share that point of view.