AGRI002062 Überlebensmittelsphilosophie

Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Freyer, Bernhard
Organisation
Organic Farming
Offered in
Wintersemester 2026/27
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

"On the Good Life"
Social change today is shaped by social inequalities, ecological risks and authoritarian temptations — a world in crisis mode. But does this also place the individual in crisis? When wars are being fought elsewhere, is it morally appropriate to optimise “prosperity” and happiness? Or is it, for this very reason, almost morally necessary to redefine the good life?

Everywhere, and in all areas of life, transformation, change and transition are invoked as movements towards something supposedly better. Yet social, economic and ecological balances show only marginal progress for “all”, if not dramatic setbacks in many regions of the world. What is going wrong?

Can a philosophy of life tailored to an “I-centred” society be crowned by happiness? In philosophy, this question is fundamental. The philosophy of the good life asks about the ultimate, actual purpose of human existence, and philosophers over the centuries have offered different answers. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle saw *eudaimonia* — a fulfilled and successful way of living — as the aim of philosophy. By “happiness”, they did not mean pleasant feelings, but the result of a fulfilled life, achieved through the development of one’s own potential, reason-guided action and virtue.

In our potential professional fields, we are called upon in many ways to act as shapers and designers. Do we ask ourselves, in this role, what the good life for all might mean? What are our guiding principles for resolving the contradictions between rich and poor? What is our own understanding of the good life? Do we have a plan, a concept, an idea of it? In which of our own “works” does the good life become visible? What changes are necessary to realise an idea of the good life?

Do we have the emotional, intellectual, social and economic means to achieve quality of life? Are we driven to realise it, or does this wish disappear in everyday life and remain unfulfilled? Is there, or is there not, a Plan B — to borrow from Udo Lindenberg? Have we ever truly faced these questions? And how does the good life express itself in the different worlds in which we move?

Are there guiding images, life designs or ways of living to which we can say: yes, this is right? *The Gardener of Versailles: Portrait of a Happy Man* by Erik Orsenna, or Peter Handke’s *Essay on the Successful Day*, attempt to describe this.

And finally: what is needed for a good life? A physical home — architecture, music, colour, a landscape, food, physical, mental and psychological health, friendships and family, a cultural and geographical embeddedness? The list may be endless, or very short. But it is always individually shaped and interpreted. And what does the Happiness Index, in its Bhutanese form, tell us about this?

These and further questions will occupy us in this seminar — through discussions, the study of texts and, if possible, individual guest speakers from different areas of society.
Previous knowledge expected

Interest in philosophical topics
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Expected learning outcome

Students engage with different ideas of the good life and relate them to present social, ecological and political crises. They learn to read philosophical positions not only as historical concepts, but also as questions that concern their own lives, future professional fields and social responsibility.

By the end of the seminar, students should be able to reflect independently on questions of happiness, fulfilment, responsibility and quality of life. They can compare different understandings of the good life, recognise their assumptions and relate them critically to social inequality, ecological limits, cultural contexts and individual ways of living.

Competences acquired

Students deepen their capacity for philosophical reflection and reasoned judgement. They learn to question their own values, to understand the arguments of others and to express their own positions clearly.

They develop the ability to read texts from philosophy, literature and social thought with care, and to connect them with current questions. The aim is not to adopt ready-made answers, but to develop an informed and personal line of thought.

Students also strengthen their ability to link questions of the good life with professional practice, scope for action and social responsibility. They reflect on the guiding ideas behind their own actions and on the conditions under which quality of life can be understood not only individually, but also in social and ecological terms.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.