The On The Good Life Essay - 1363 Words

The concept of living â€Å"the good life† means something different for everyone. There is a general understanding that living â€Å"the good life† is associated with unyielding happiness and lasting satisfaction. The exact meaning of this desired life was pondered by thinkers and philosophers for hundreds of years. They constructed principals of behavior, thought, and obligation that would categorize a person as â€Å"good†. Although some of these ancient philosophies about â€Å"the good life† had overlapping ideas, their concepts varied widely. This contrast of ideas can be examined through two major characters in two famous works: Aeneas in â€Å"The Aeneid† and Socrates in â€Å"The Apology†. Aeneas exemplifies the philosophy that the direct route to â€Å"the good life is through faith, trust in the Gods, and family, while Socrates in â€Å"The Apology† emphasizes free will, and vast knowledge of life. Aeneas shows great commit ment to the Gods throughout his mission in â€Å"The Aeneid†. He believes this devotion and trust in the divine is the meaning of â€Å"the good life†. He is so devoted to his duty that he introduces himself to strangers by stating his service to the Gods. He states, I am Aeneas, duty-bound, and known Above high air of heaven by my fame, Carrying with me in my ships our gods Of hearth and home, saved from the enemy. I look for Italy to be my fatherland, And my descent is from all-highest Jove (Aeneid, 1.519-524) Aeneas makes rash life decisions and gives up his own personal desiresShow MoreRelatedThe Good Life Is Life1306 Words   |  6 PagesThe good life is life that should be focused on it’s true denotation, a present body life, not an afterlife. A key aspect of the good life is that it puts goals, dreams, and aspirations in the main focus. The good life is not a refusal of God and eternity, rather places the religious ideas in the background to allow for full pleasure by the individual. In addition, the good life cherishes the small things in life and places importance on the finite, at risk, unique parts in the journey of an individualRead MoreThe Good Life Is A Happy Life1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe good life is a happy life and is what everybody wants. But what does it mean to have a good life? Everybody has different ideas of a good life. By definition good life mean, balanced lifestyle accomplished goals and dreams that are beneficial to them or loved ones, an education, a nd stability through relationships, work and money. All are elements of good life, but as long as you are happy with yourself, you are having a good life. Life can be abounding in material comforts and luxuries. EverybodyRead MoreQuality Of Life As A Good Life1146 Words   |  5 PagesQuality of life (QOL) means a good life and we believe that a good life is the same as living a life with a high quality. This may seem evident, but it is necessary to make such a simple clarification, because medical jargon often uses very narrow concepts of the quality of life (for example, side effect profiles). Medical advertisements often depict the quality of life as one factor among many, on a par with other improvements that a certain medical product promises. In this work, the quality ofRead MoreWhy Is The Good Life?1279 Words   |  6 PagesSiddhartha soon discovers, Enlightenment-his good life-requires much sacrifice whether it be in the tangible form of food and luxuries or the emotional cost of leaving home. Ismene, in Antigone faces a dilemma when her headstrong sister bade her to help bury their brother which would lead to the forfeiture of their lives. Although the good life seems to imply a sense of ease and pleasantry, nothing worth having comes freely which is why achieving the good life may come at the cost of sacrifices, in whichRead MoreWhat Is A Good Life?1139 Words   |  5 Pageslive well is to live morally. However, as argued by Dworkin in his essay â€Å"What is a Good Life?† high morality does not necessarily equate a high standard of living. Indeed, following austere morals and ethics may lead to an unsatisfying life. For instance, adopting Singer’s approach to absolute morality, as outlined in â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality† would pose a significant hindrance to one’s pursuit of a good life. An approach more conducive to a satisfying lifestyle is moral balancing, a phenomenaRead MoreAristotle Is A Good Life?1211 Words   |  5 Pagesand his works are widely utilized by academics and non-academics when discussing the common theme, â€Å"what is a good life?† Within many of his works Aristotle has addressed the concept of â€Å"eudaimonia.† Simply defined, eudaimonia is, â€Å"happiness or flourishing.† However, Aristotle defined eudaimonia a little bit differently, he claimed that eudaimonia was reaching one s ultimate human good by living well and completing one’s ultimate goals (flourishing). The concept of Eudaimonia is thought toRead MoreAristotle : The Good Life1708 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle: The Good Life Aristotle along with Plato and Socrates are three of the first and arguably the most important philosophers when it comes to modern day philosophy and ethics. Aristotle’s work extended beyond ethics and philosophy into scientific thought where he was a very important figure in that field as well. One of Aristotle’s greatest works was the Nicomachean Ethics. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores how people should live and concentrates on the individual’s ethical responsibilitiesRead MoreThe Nature Of The Good Life1295 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophers have been thinking about the nature of the good life since ancient times. The good life was a central topic during the ancient period of philosophy. Many people say that the good life is living a prosperous life full of happiness. There are many different ideologies of the good life and each philosopher has their own values and beliefs. I decided to pick one of the most well known philosophers, Karl Marx. Karl Marx’s philosophy is by far one of the most looked at. He called capitalismRead MorePerpetua And The Good Life781 Words   |  4 PagesCicero agree that the good life should be followed. Perpetua thinks that the good life is found in only one way, by staying true to her faith. However, Cicero thinks that the good life is achieved by being morally good and that people achieve a state of happiness when following this type of life. Although they have different views of the good life, their writings agree that living the good life produces happiness and should be pursued. Perpetua is concerned with living a good life following God andRead MoreThe Importance Of A Good Life843 Words   |  4 Pagesconsidered a good life? Many people in this world have different ideas on what a good life is, and how to fulfill their dreams and feel accomplished. It also depends on if you are a male or female, there can be many different reasons and ideas of a good life. Many people say money is the most important key to a good life. There are also many people that have never had the opportunity to make their life a good one. There are so many obstacles that could get in the way of making your life great. Many