Happiness can come from little things in life. As well as from love from others. Happiness can also come from laughing at a picture or joke, really anything. Happiness is the best thing in life. Being happy can get you so much in life. If you are a downer about everything then it won’t get you anything. Being happy can get you a better job. Employers aren't going to want to hire someone who is always upset. So happiness can do a lot for you including deciding your…
Epicurus seems to believe that the idea that ataraxia/ happiness can be achieved if one is able to lessen pain as much as possible, on the other hand, Epictetus believes that ataraxia/happiness can only be reached by having a strong mind and if one is indifferent to external events that are beyond one's control. Epictetus's ethical theory seems to be a little influenced by his belief in god and more about his stoicism, while Epicurus, though he does not deny the existence of God, his theory is less influenced by divinity. Epicurus’s theory maintains that people should try to minimize one’s own desires and pains. Also, for someone to reach the highest form of pleasure, it is important to have a positive attitude toward the future and death.…
How is true happiness attained? True happiness does not come from material things but believing in life that you did your best or gave your most. True happiness isn't a thing you can get simply by buying the nicest car or the nicest house. It’s about having a feeling inside that you are doing good for other people and yourself. Buddha once said, “you must let go of your desires to achieve happiness.”…
In “Letter to Menoeceus” by Epicurus, Epicurus sends out the message that the most pleasant sort of life is one in which there is happiness and pleasure. He argues that there is no time in which we are too young or too old to seek wisdom to change our lives for the better, and that “both old and young alike ought to seek wisdom” (Epicurus 11). A bit later in the letter, he tells Menoeceus to avoid fearing death because there is nothing that we as humans can do about it. He tells Menoeceus that “death is nothing to us,” and that those who fear death are foolish because it is essentially painless when it occurs, but only that the thought of death causes us pain. By saying this, Epicurus is letting Menoeceus know that he must not spend his time…
true happiness is and what is good and virtuous. It is the happiness that is obtained through the…
Epicurus says that Pleasure is what we pursue and, what we come back to, but for him pleasure stems from lack of pain. He believed that a life on moderation brought the most pleasure that over indulgence was unhealthy and brought pain. The simple things in life bring the most pleasure. He believed that mental pain was worse the physical pain. He explained mental pain a disturbance of the mind. He urged prudence in our pursuit of pleasures, and that all other virtues spring from it.…
There are many things in this life that we cannot control, and according to the famous philosopher, Epictetus, we are to accept this fact and live our lives to the fullest. From his works, Discourses and Enchiridion, we learn that Epictetus lived a “Stoic” way of life—one in which everything happens for a reason, and for our own ultimate good. Epictetus viewed life as a play, in which we are the actors, and a powerful God is the director. According to the text, Epictetus believed that one should strive to live by certain “commandments” for life, and that one should accept his own life and live it the best that he can.…
Epicureanism moral theory is based upon achieving a life where pleasure is considered the greatest good. Pleasure is sought after and achieved through the removal of physical pain and mental worries. It is common in Epicureanism to avoid pain by trying to eliminate any non-natural desires. For example, in our modern world the presidency of the United States is arguably one of the most sought after and politically powerful positions in the world. But with the power comes great responsibility and accountability to the people for whom you serve, then with this untimely comes great anxiety and stress. Epicureans believed stress, anxiety and mental worries to be forms of pain and suffering that only took one farther away from pleasure. It was for this reason why Epicureans believed in living a more moderate lifestyle free of distractions from the path to happiness.…
While they have low standard of living in the material sense, Epictetus believes the inner, intellectual life is one that is fostered by virtue. Epictetus understands all things to be inherently good, not evil, thus implying that it is the actions of people that make things evil (Arrian 139). In…
What is Stoic Philosophy? Stoic Philosophy is the school of philosophy founded by Zeno, who asserted that men should be free from passion. Roman Stoic Philosophy was a big part of the roman everyday life. Some major parts of Stoic Philosophy are how it started, the ethics, what the stoics viewed philosophy as, the most famous stoics and what stoicism is.…
Epictetus believed that the what humans deem as desirable and how they think that it will make one’s life better are things that are not in our control. Such as external and materialistic objects that are desired as a want but not a need. When a desire is not met, a person loses patience and becomes angry. Epictetus believed that that was the bases of human misery and that humans should focus on what’s important such as building and progress towards one’s individual disposition. The Discipline of Action involves “our impulses to act and not to act” (Seddon 14).…
What is happiness? That is not a question that may be easily answered. Due to the fact that every human-being possesses their own views on life, it is possible that there are innumerable interpretations of what is ultimately this idea seen as happiness. For the purpose of interpreting the idea of happiness as opposed to “being happy” I believe that it is necessary that there be a more continual and perpetual meaning is attached to happiness. I do not believe that actual happiness is a fleeting experience, but instead, a lasting state in which someone finds themselves. When looking to a dictionary or other source of reference to determine an official and concrete meaning behind happiness, the Miriam-Webster…
Epicurus developed a philosophy with human happiness as its goal. In his view, all humans desire to be happy. Sadly, humans are not very proficient at determining what will make them genuinely happy. Epicurus thought that all one really needs to be happy is to live a self-sufficient life without pain, surrounded by loving friends while not fearing God and/or death, in a peaceful society. Plato, on the other hand, believed that a person’s morality determined his or her level of happiness. A truly moral person would be happy and fulfilled.…
Epicurus in his letter to Menoeceus backers the necessity of freedom from prejudice, superstition and extremes of emotions in the pursuit of happiness and a tranquil life. The apparent simplicity of this formula allowed detractors to misinterpret Epicurus, depicting him as depraved, hedonistic, anarchistic and atheistic. His aim is to present to us, how to live a happy life. He sees happiness as the fundamental principle of the good life. This paper is an attempt to critically delineate the essential tenets of Epicureanism as articulated in his letter to Menoeceus, and finally to criticize and evaluate in order to arrive at a dependable conclusion. In what follows, it would be apt to briefly consider the personality or Epicurus, before delving into the main work.…
As rational beings, we become more conscious of the law that guides all things. Virtue consists in conscious acknowledgement with the order of things in life. According to Epictetus' The Enchiridion, one acts with the virtues of Stoicism: human imperfection, caution, self-control, and courage. We can relate what Epictetus is saying to our own lives. It appears that people feel comfort in knowing that one has no control over destiny. Everything happens for a reason.…