What would define a rich and fulfilled life? This question has been asked by all of humanity through countless generations. Though numerous philosophers have offered different responses depending on their unique perspectives on life, the answers have not yet been definitive. According to some philosophers, one should strive to lead a life that fulfills them based on their definition of happiness. At the same time, some believe a wealthy and materially possessed life may be considered ideal. Others claim a rich life is having good health, close relationships with family and friends, and having a successful, fulfilling career. Despite this, some people still find it difficult and require help deciding what would entail their best life. It is important to answer the question based on the views and life of an ancient philosopher named Epicurus, who believed at the heart of his philosophy that we do not know what we want and that what we want may not often be what we need. This essay will delve into his personal life, beliefs, and reasoning behind his philosophies on life while offering my personal opinion on his assessment of a good life.
“Thanks be to blessed Nature because she has made what is necessarily easy to supply, and what is not easy unnecessary…” is a famous quote by Epicurus in one of his philosophical works on life. Based on this, it can be derived that nature is crucial for the survival of all living things, specifically humans. All the requirements to support life are provided by nature, including air, water, food, and an environment to set up shelter. These necessities are provided for free by nature, and Epicurus believed they are all one needs to live a fulfilled life. Any additional wants that a person may require would incur costs that may be unnecessary. Epicurus believed in living a simple, cost-efficient life. Although he believed everyone should strive to live a pleasure-focused life (O’Keefe 12), his lifestyle was somewhat contradictory. He never partook in luxurious items such as wines and high-end meals, preferring water with simple meals such as bread and vegetables (Botton 3:05 – 3:30). According to him, this was a less expensive way of life that made him happy. From this, we can understand that a happy life does not always equate to luxuries and wealth. We can find that as long as one chooses to do anything that brings them joy, even cheap, they can still find meaning in life.
Epicurus also believed that friendship could bring long-term happiness into one’s life. Due to this, he constructed a large house outside the city of Athens in ancient Greece. Large. A large house, according to Epicurus, had only one rather important purpose to him, which was to provide adequate space to house him and his friends. Each of his friends he invited would have their own sleeping quarters, and there was a spacious common room where they would all gather to bond and mingle. He believed that in order to benefit from friends maximumly, you had to live with these friends at all times so that they become your personal companions rather than seeing them occasionally (Botton 7:40 – 8:15). He found this ideal to be the cornerstone of one’s happiness however not everyone can afford or want to build an entire house to house their friends. However, the ideal can be implemented individually in various ways as to how to interact with said friends as long as one establishes and maintains the bond of friendship.
On the other side of Epicurus’s ideals, he believed that any unnatural thing that is not provided for by nature has the potential to corrupt and cause more harm to an individual as well as the environment than good (O’Keefe 13). Many great disasters can be attributed to human actions, such as global warming, which has led to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon caused by the trapping of the sun’s heat in the lower atmosphere, which causes drastic rises in temperature, melting of glaciers, and other extreme weather events. The phenomenon is brought by humanity’s desires for luxury and to make life easier. The desire by humans to live a happy life pushed them to establish factories that pollute the air, vehicles with their exhaust emissions, and the abundance of plastic, which has been a major threat to all ecosystems. Even though these inventions have been pivotal to human survival, it is important to note that human beings are self-sufficient, and they would be able to live happy and fulfilling lives without relying on these inventions, hence raising the question of whether the cost of having them may very well outweigh the good from them.
Personal Opinion
The ideologies Epicurus held were complex and have been the subject of debate. I concur with most of his arguments as I believe that nature has the ability to support human life as it provides all the basic requirements for human survival, which are air, water, and food (O’Keefe 12). While I believe that friendships and social bonds forged by individuals are crucial in living a happy life, I don’t believe that living with our friends in the same house will enhance bonds. On the contrary, living with friends could be a source of friction and conflict, which would undermine the idea of living a happy life. While Epicurus has a distaste for unnatural things, arguing that they are corrupt, I believe the idea might be misinformed since these inventions were not a mistake, and some of them do help some individuals achieve their happiest lives. It is, therefore, crucial for people in the world to explore various ways in which they can effectively create harmony between unnatural things and natural things.
In conclusion, we can draw from Epicurus’s three main elements of a rich, fulfilled life: friendship and family, freedom and self-analyzation. Friends and family hold the major key to one’s happiness and fulfillment. In addition, freedom is essential for a person to experience their life in the way they want; hence, it is crucial. Lastly, the ability to analyze yourself allows you to know what truly makes you happy beyond material gains. These, I believe, are the keys to a happy life.
Work Cited
Botton, Alain de. “Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness – Epicurus on Happiness.” Www.youtube.com, 2014, youtu.be/eLPeUWsBRvw?si=Wd8oqbpQs895YlPC. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
O’Keefe, Tim. “Epicurus | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, iep.utm.edu/epicur/.
write