The Theory Used By Epicurus - 1078 Words

All over the world, throughout all time eras, it seems as though humans have always been asking the fundamental question, what is goodness? Perspectives vary by culture, religion and from person to person depending on countless variables. This question particularly interested the philosophers Plato and Epicurus. Although both men had fully rational, valid, and interesting takes on the idea of goodness, my argument is that Epicurus’ ideology- in my opinion- is the most reasonable answer. In this essay, I will begin by explaining Epicurus’ hedonistic view, I will then explain why Plato dissents, and then I will finish off by explaining why I believe Epicurus’ idea is more reasonable. Hedonism- the idea that pleasure is the greatest good, was the ethical theory used by Epicurus to show us how to live a happy life. A prominent belief of his was that we needed to master our desires. To do this, we must first understand our desires and where they come from. This means being able to look at your desires, and understand those that are necessary for survival, for your happiness, and those which are not necessary at all. By doing this, Epicurus would say that you will be able to make wise decisions which will ultimately lead to a happy life. Epicurus makes the point saying that when we judge something, let s say a car for instance, we judge it based on how it makes us feel. Does this car give you pleasure? Does it irritate you or cause you pain? If it does cause you pain,Show MoreRelatedAll Great Minds Think Alike...Sometimes Essay1182 Words   |  5 Pagessame direction. But in the case of great minds like Epicurus (342 – 270 B.C.E.) and Epictetus (50 – 130 C.E.), the road toward their common goal differed. Both Epicurus and Epictetus believe that it is in human nature to seek out pleasure and that happiness implicates serenity. However, Epicurus differs from Epictetus in that Epicurus does not believe that it is the virtues that bring about happiness, but rather, one’s own pleasure. While both Epicurus and Epictetus confer their opinions on happinessRead MoreThe Ethical Theories Of Aristotle s Theory Of A Life Well Spent On The Planet959 Words   |  4 Pageschapter on ethics. Aristotle’s theory on how we should live our lives is noble and worthy of being used as an example of what humans should attempt to become during the time allotted on the earth, but his theory seems to be unnecessarily complicated and tedious. Epicurus provides a theory that is more holistic but also is not without its defects, primarily that of treating the virtues as merely a means to an end. My want is to take portions of each philosopher’s theory and meld them into one synthesisRead MoreSuicide, may be said to happen, if and only if, there is an intentional end of someones life. The800 Words   |  4 Pagesprovides no strong and fast answers about suicide - each case is separate rely on its consequences. It is disputable whether a person decease is legitimately reducing the amount of suffering and/or incremental the general prosperity. Utilitarianism, the theory of ethics which judges actions in condition of the consequences. If the consequences are good, then the actions are also good. If the consequences are not good, then the actions are also judge as not being good. Goodness is in deflect judged in conditionRead MoreReflection On Knowledge And Philosophy890 Words   |  4 Pageswith the philosophy of Socrates. As I studied his work I found that Socrates pulled knowledge from others and formulating his philosophical theories. In his coined method, the Socratic Method he the questions in order to pull truth out of people. I do a lot of motivational speaking and preaching. I notice that without out knowledge of this method, I have used this for many years in order to get other to receive the message that I am trying to convey. I like to use situations and experiences that haveRead MoreThe Intellectual Movement Of Ancient Greece1624 Words   |  7 Pagesthought. According to them, philosophical thinking, which st rictly focuses on the use of reason and logic (Pojman and Vaughn 2), offered the only tools that would allow them find the true sources of happiness. A prime example of a civilization that used critical thinking and reason to identify these seemingly complex elements were the ancient Greeks. Essentially, Greek philosophy attempted to find rational answers to basic questions about man and the universe (Owens). These questions included theRead MoreEpicurus And Epicureanism ( Pghc11181 )2053 Words   |  9 PagesB099785 Epicurus and Epicureanism (PGHC11181) Epicurus on the Gods: Realism or Idealism? Conflict between two interpretative parties. It is commonly accepted that in antiquity people always believed in gods regardless of their stature. Taking into consideration the different periods of history, there have been observed cases of incredulity and skepticism as far as the existence of Gods was concerned. The disbelief over gods and generally divergences on the traditional way of treating gods developedRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism1642 Words   |  7 Pagesbased his controversial sentiments of happiness on Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism, believing that goods are the means to greatest happiness for the greatest number of peoples. Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher, who similarly encouraged people to follow his pleasure based philosophy to obtain happiness. Unlike Mill, Epicurus’ philosophy is based on individualistic hedonism, which often may seem more practical and acceptable. Although, Mill’s utilitarianism is indeed a form of social hedonism ratherRead MoreWestern Civilization And Its Impact On Modern Society942 Words   |  4 Pagesuniverse was made of, Anaximander continued the study along with Heraclitus. Democritus came up with the theory that the universe is made up of atoms. The four of these men together came up with the theory of, â€Å"four simple substances made up the universe: fire, air earth, and water† (McKay 59). One philosopher also came up with medical help, Hippocrates became the father of medicine because he used knowledge instead of magic to figure out the â€Å"workings of the body† (McKay 59). Socrates later came aroundRead MoreDeath Is Not Death?2195 Words   |  9 Pagesthe unknown. Epicurus however did not have any fear of death, he believed that death was simply nothing to us and that fearing being dead was senseless because we would not be present to actually experience it. According to Epicurus we should not fear death because our soul dies along with our bodies, because it is irrational to fear nonexistence as we have experienced it before and lastly because fearing death can only take away from us enjoying the short time we have on earth. Epicurus himself wasRead MoreDefining Characteristics From Western Civilization946 Words   |  4 Pagesuniverse was made of, Anaximander continued the study along with Heraclitus. Democritus came up with the theory that the universe is made up of atoms. The four of these men together came up with the theory of, â€Å"four simple substances made up the universe: fire, air earth, and water† (McKay 59). One philosopher also came up with medical help, Hippocrates became the father of medicine because he used knowledge instead of magic to figure out the â€Å"workings of the body† (McKay 59). Socrates later came around