Augustine, Epictetus, And Plato's Definition Of A Good Life

Which is better – a happy or a meaningful life? If we all dove deep into ourselves and explored the depths, we would see our desires are not so different. Today we all share one common goal: happiness. But what exactly is happiness? Many people deem living a ‘successful’ and comfortable life as the definition of happiness. However, philosophers of the past strived not for happiness, but rather, simply a ‘good life’. While Augustine, Epicurus, Epictetus, and Plato all have different definitions of a good life and different portrayals of how to live in order to have a good life, Plato’s view is ultimately the best because his concept of a harmonized soul allows people to overcome any difficulty. One method of determining whether a philosopher’s

Specifically, he proposes that a good life entails the tranquility of the mind grounded in apathy. This will, therefore, lead to the peace of the mind and so, we will never be disturbed/disappointed. He says, “nothing is in our control (external) except how we think about certain things (internal).” For example, he supports the idea that I should not care for God because if God ends up not caring for me, I will ultimately end up not living a peaceful life. However, this apathetic approach in response to events and to life will ultimately not be beneficial for oneself. For example, if my child dies, Epictetus says that the correct approach to this incident will be to simply think of it as one of the countless deaths that happens every day. The idea is that my child is just one among many human beings. This approach will undoubtedly dehumanize me because it if the death of my own child is to be disregarded for the sake of my ‘peace’, it would devalue the relationships I have with my child. In addition, it doesn’t take in account that human nature can’t be changed in such a way that we are unaffected by the death of a family member. A life without meaningful and personal relationships with other people is one that is not worth living, no matter how ‘peaceful’ it is because one will never experience love, or hate, or any other feelings opposed to solely apathy. It is necessary for one to live in

Plato’s way of living will lead to living a good life by being just, not just appearing just. How does one become just? One does so by minding his own business in society. Specifically, each class in a society is separate (and plays its own role and not of another role). In order to understand how being just will lead to a good life, we must understand how Plato’s city is constructed. His city is made up of 3 distinct classes – the Guardians (rule over the other classes selflessly), the Auxiliaries (warriors who defend the city), and the Merchants/Craftsmen. This well-ordered society will be reflected in every person’s soul. Specifically, each class reflects a different part of a person’s soul. The Guardians represent the calculating/reasoning part of the soul, the Auxiliaries represent the spirited part of the soul, and the merchants/craftsmen represent the desiring part of the