The Philosophy Of The World - 1406 Words

What must one do when confronted with the question of â€Å"How to live ethically†? Is there a set rule or guideline one must follow to live correctly? Is there a key to happiness? These questions are common and are known as the philosophies of life. The most difficult thing to communicate about philosophy is how ethical ideas are rooted in ideas of how the world works. What we believe to be ethical or not comes from simply our understanding of how the world works. A philosophy of Epicureanism focuses on the pleasures of life. I will argue that the idea that â€Å"pleasure is the starting point and goal of living blessedly.† (128) Epicureanism is a philosophy that advocates hedonism, which classifies pleasures as being the highest good. The key†¦show more content†¦For the third truth, he addresses how money and material things do not bring happiness. Money and other possessions, besides food and shelter, do not correlate with happiness. Lastly, the natural or der of life shows how pain comes and goes and how everything that is unpleasant will eventually pass. Epicurus explains how suffering is temporary and with this mindset anything can be tolerable. In Epicurus’s Letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus gives advice on how to live a happy life. He states: â€Å"The unwavering contemplation of these enables one to refer every choice and avoidance to the health of the body and the freedom of the soul from disturbance, since this is the goal of a blessed life.† (128) His advice expresses how a happy life is twofold; health of the body and freedom of the soul from disturbance. A man who become accustomed to the simple necessities of life is one that is completely healthy; a man who searches for the reasons for his every choice, while getting rid of other opinions, is one whose soul is free from disturbance. He stresses three key points to obtain this happiness. â€Å"So every pleasure is a good thing, since it has a natural congenial [to us], but not everyone is to be chosen. Just as every pain too is a bad thing, but not everyone is such as to be always avoided. (129) It is, however, appropriate to make all these decisions by comparative measurement and an examination of the advantages and disadvantages. For at