Evolving Philosophical Journal 0.5: What Makes a Good Life?

 What Makes a Good Life?

         As Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living”. A life that is unexamined lacked purpose and meaning. Living a life without purpose leads to unhappiness. It is important for every human being to live an examined life to fully realize happiness. Echoing on what Aristotle said, “happiness is the highest good” and the goal of all that which we do. The Good Life Journal presented four guiding questions that encouraged me to examine my life deeper and ultimately helped put forward my understanding of what makes a good life.  Happiness makes a good life. What constitutes happiness is knowing the purpose of our existence, creating good and meaningful relationships, and being healthy both in mind and body to enjoy the freedom of living life we see fit.

Contemplating on our life’s purpose gives the meaning of our existence. According to Aristotle, true happiness can be found “in the life of the philosopher, the life of scientific and philosophic contemplation” (para. 29).  Being rational and having the ability to think sets us apart from other animals. Living a contemplative life, being present and aware, to delve deep into who and what we are will better equip us to function fully and morally in society. If we lead a contemplative life, we can identify what is it that matters most and what makes us happy. Happiness in face of all difficulty and the challenge of the everyday struggle is in a sense rewarding enough. Finding the purpose in what do we get up for is nonetheless important in realizing what makes our life good. The consequence of not knowing our purpose can lead to dissatisfaction and difficulty in obtaining our inner peace. Unamuno said that “men must think and work however they want so that they are happy they have been born…” (pg.14). Knowing our purpose gives life meaning. Our purpose is what drives us to get going, we do not just wake up each day walking the streets aimlessly, our best life is what we purposed it to be. Unamuno also states that the most important thing is for “people to be happy and be happy to be alive. The happiness of being alive is the most important thing of all.” (pg. 5). Being grateful for life and celebrating every new day of being alive is essential in the pursuit of happiness. We must also find time for the things that make us happy to be alive. Further, Aristotle points out that “happiness lies in the activity of energising”, it is the “activity of a being who possesses reason and applies it” (para. 12). Humans are rational beings, and we use reason to live well in accordance with what is right and what is ethical. Through reason we see the best in what we do, we determine that which we wanted to attain to live happily. As quoted from the doctrine of Epicurus, “exercise of reason is important in the pursuit and attainment of a happy life” (para. 8). In accordance with reason, we can conclude what is to be avoided and what to choose to secure a happy and tranquil life. To be able to fully function in society and to be able to live a satisfied and fulfilled life we must, therefore, employ a ceaseless contemplation to know our purpose in life and apply reason in what we do for us to realize what truly makes us happy.

A good life is also built in a strong relationship, no one is sufficient for himself, to thrive, humans must rely on others, be part of a community and interact with society. A meaningful relationship is mutual and benefits those who partake in it. According to Epicurus, “friendship is one of the most useful means of procuring a secure, tranquil, and happy life." (para. 20). Happiness is best shared with the ones we hold dear, and creating a meaningful relationship is what makes life worth living. Further, Aristotle emphasizes the value of friendship saying friendship is a virtue and it is “most necessary for life” for “no one would choose to live without friends” even if he got all the best there is in the world (book 8, ch 1). As humans are social beings, a solitary life will not work out for us, living alone devoid us the pleasure of friendship hindering us from becoming happy. A relationship keeps us happier, we tend to live longer and inspired to get up each day if we are not lonely. We tend to take care more of ourselves because we have someone who we can share our happiness with. Also, St. Augustine states that those who fulfill the commandment of “loving thy neighbor as thyself” (pg 387), finds happiness. Loving our neighbors is loving God, and God is the “fountain of happiness”.  Also, loving someone gives us a sense of purpose and it will be beneficial in our well-being. Additionally, Unamuno said that God is in “every place, and all of us in Him, and He in us” (pg. 9). Unamuno points out that loving our neighbors as we love ourselves honors God in some way because God is our reflection and ours is in God. Therefore, A strong and genuine relationship with those around us is what makes life good, it is with these connections that we see the best in life. It is with these connections that we seize happiness by beholding God in our lives.

Epicurus also said that having a peaceful mind and being free from bodily pain is the paragon of happiness. As quoted “happiness may therefore be said to consist in bodily ease, and mental tranquility” (para. 10). Prudent care of the body, living simply, and averting from what caused us distress of the mind is essential in maintaining a happy life. Being free from bodily pain also helps us enjoy the freedom of being alive. Further, St. Augustine also states that so long as we have food to eat, let us be content and avoid temptation, lust, and money for these are “the root of evil” “which pierced men through with many sorrows” (pg. 15). Happiness that is lasting is found in knowing God, for God is goodness abound. It cannot be found in things that are external for external pleasure does not constitute true happiness. They do in some way, but happiness found in external things is temporary.  It is also important to remember that we will not be who we are without our reason. We would not know how to stay away from what will cause us pain and suffering. As quoted, “if wisdom is God, who made all things, as is attested by the divine authority and truth, then the philosopher is a lover of God”. (pg 306). If we exercise our reason and seek God in our lives, we will enjoy a blessed and happy life. True happiness dwells in where tranquility is found, and good men who try and work hard to do good and be good fare better. Additionally, St. Augustine said that there are two kinds of people, the dwellers in the earthly city or the City of Man, built by men who love themselves, and those who dwell in the City of God, a city built by men who love God. He said that a city built by man is not made to last while a city built in the foundation of our knowledge in God will transcend time, ensuring happiness that is long-lasting. Therefore, we should direct our activities in accordance with what is right and based on our knowledge of God not on earthly pleasures that is brittle and temporary for us to attain the tranquility of both mind and body. While we aim to live healthily both mentally and spiritually, it is, therefore, essential to incorporate the pursuit of knowledge in all that we do, for knowing God is knowing the source of all that is good, the source of happiness.

St. Augustine emphasizes enough that if we honor God in our lives, a great manifestation of love is to be gained as love belongs to the good and whatever it is that is good is happiness. Aristotle, Epicurus, and St. Augustine agreed that true happiness dwells in the lives of those who contemplate, who exercise reason, and behold God in their lives. Further, happiness can be found in friendship, in a meaningful relationship, and importantly, the tranquility of the mind and health of the body. Unamuno determines that happiness can be found in appreciating life and being grateful to be alive.

As I continue along in my reflection, I come across questions that challenged my position on what makes a good life. Can we really obtain happiness through contemplation and knowing our purpose or just simply appreciate and live life? Does practicing what is moral and ethical, and having the knowledge of God in our lives make us happy?

First, if applying reason and moral values makes a good life, why do other people find pleasure and joy in hurting others? Why do other people take pride in going against reason, against the moral standard in society, and committing crimes? Secondly, if God is good, why there is suffering, does God allow all this to happen? Lastly, if God is with us and happiness is to be found in Him, why are we to die, is it death and sadness one and the same? Surely, happiness is nowhere to be found in death. There are a lot of challenges each of us comes face to face in our pursuit of happiness, in realizing our idea of a good life. Admittedly, while Aristotle, Epicurus, and St. Augustine’s arguments supported an idea on what makes a good life, all those big questions lead to doubt if we are where we should be in our pursuit of a good life.

On the question about doing what is ethical and the suffering of humans, the dialogue on Natural Religion by Hume made for a significant eye-opener. While it indirectly answers questions and doubts, it makes for a good reflection. The dialogue took place among three philosophers, most notably Philo who questions the benevolence of God. Philo argues that if God is good why does suffering happen, why there is unhappiness in the world. Philo further said that if evil befalls someone, can that person then say that God caused it because God’s will is ultimate? Hume, through the dialogue of Philo, asserts that no amount of reason could lead us to God, to happiness. I find the argument wrong, and I must look back upon what Aristotle said about the contemplative life. A contemplative life is applying reason in all that we do. Humans are made rational to differentiate what is good and bad, and I find it wrong to associate the evils of the world with God. Evil, suffering, and unhappiness happen when we lack the ability to think rationally and when we fail to contemplate what is best for us and those around us. What events befall us are the results of the choices we make. If we are as far as to stage ourselves as superior to other animals because of our capacity to think, it is, therefore, a shame to blame our actions – caused by our conscious choices to God. We were made rational, it is evident to say that we can, for ourselves choose which side to pick, which “city” we would like to dwell in to find our happiness. Further, Hume on the Bundle Theory of the Self said that humans do not have a set of feelings and perceptions. Hume said “I may venture to affirm of the rest of mankind, that they are nothing but a bundle or collection of different perceptions…(pg. 300). The theory states that a person changes over time, in response to the changes around him. A person is a collection of ever-changing experiences that gives an idea of what or who they are. Importantly, this points out a relevant realization that who and what we are is grounded on our internal perception, it is not fed by what others see and say as to what or who we are. Relating that back to Philo’s critique about God’s benevolence on man, we can clearly say that how we perceived ourselves reflects our actions and choices. If our action leads to unhappiness, is it not from experience that we learn from it and try to do better next time and avoid what caused us pain and suffering? Rational and thinking beings as we are, if we know that evil caused misery and suffering, are we not to choose what is good and right to live a happy life?  We will never fully understand God because of our humanity, but beholding God and goodness in our life will lead us to rational choices that could make us and those around us happy. Therefore, I will stand by my previous position, practicing moral virtues and applying reason to our actions leads to a good life.

Another burning question that challenged my idea on what a good life, is the question about death. Why do we even bother examining our life to be able to live happily if we only find death in the end? There is sadness in death, we may not remain to bear the pain, because who knows, no one gets to come back and say otherwise, but it will surely affect those we have connections with. If a good life is built in forming a good relationship, and if we die, what will happen to those connections, to those feelings, to those who we left behind? Should we instead live only for ourselves and in solitude so as not to inflict pain on others after we leave this world? Reading the Art and Literature by Freud gave a little bit of consolation after death and with it comes a realization on where I stand in the question about what makes a good life and the death that would eventually claim it in the end. I will rephrase my belief that a good life is built in a good relationship because Freud convinced me. According to Freud, the “transience of what is beautiful involves any loss in its worth” (pg. 287). It made me realize that while life may be lost here on earth, our physical form may perish and may no longer be visible to those around us, but the worth and the depth of the connection and relationship shared will remain. It is those feelings and connectedness that were valued, not the physical form of it, not our physicality.  Additionally, Freud states that “transience value is scarcity value in time” and the “limitation in the possibility of an enjoyment, raises the value of enjoyment” (pg. 288). Freud wants me to realize that life may be short, mortal as we are, it should not hinder us from doing things that make us happy. The impermanence of life should serve as a motivation to live well and meaningfully, to seek our purpose, build connections, examine our conscience, and bear in mind that whatever we do should result in happiness not just for ourselves but to those around us. Further, Freud states that “what is precious proves not to be lasting…” (pg. 290). Life is precious as we were not born to live for eternity, that is why creating a meaningful relationship with someone makes living purposeful. Finally, about death, Freud” said that it is human nature to recoil away from what is painful” (pg. 288). “When we also prove that what we cherish is lost, we are simply in a state of mourning” (pg. 290), and when “mourning is over, our love will then be free” (pg. 290). This is an important reflection for me in facing the question about death. We may not completely get over mourning, but it gives us and those we left behind an opportunity to start anew and to cherish the fragility of life. We should love wholeheartedly and love like it is our last, for every day is a blessing we might not enjoy again the next day. As Freud said, “We should build up what is lost on firmer ground and long-lasting than before” (pg. 290). Therefore, knowing that we all are destined to die should inspire us even more, to live meaningfully, to be in a ceaseless pursuit of what makes us happy, and to do what we think makes our life good.  Pain brought by the reality of death should not stop us from loving and from living well, we should love even harder, live life at its best, so that those feelings and memories would genuinely last.

 

Taking a step back and examining my doubts did not change my position on what I think makes a good life. Happiness is what makes a good life. Happiness is the end that which all our activity is directed. What makes happiness is being able to find our purpose by living a “contemplative life”. Knowing our purpose, why we are here and what do we live for helps us better see where to direct our efforts to attain that which makes us happy. We find happiness by being able to create a strong relationship, as friendship is “most necessary for life”. A good relationship is essential in living a good life. The connections we shared with those around us will ultimately shape our values in life and we consciously make choices based on what makes us and those around us happy. Importantly, the feelings shared, and bonds formed are what we will ultimately leave behind. Lastly, happiness can be obtained through “bodily ease and mental tranquility”. Being free from pain and distress both mentally and physically will enable us to live and enjoy the good life we all deserve to have.

 

 

Reference

 

Aristotle. Practical Wisdom. Project Gutenberg, July 10, 2003 [eBook #8438]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/8438/8438-h/8438-h.htm

Augustine, A., The City of God, Volume I. Project Gutenburg, April 8, 2014 [EBook #45304]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45304/45304-h/45304-h.htm

Bradlaugh, C., Collins, A., & Watts, J.  Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers. Project Gutenburg, October 6, 2009 [EBook #30200]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30200/30200-h/30200-h.htm#link2H_4_0015

Freud, Art, and Literature

Hume, Natural Religion

Hume, Treatise of Human Nature

Unamuno, Miguel de, 1864-1936. (2000). San Manuel Bueno, martir. San Manuel Bueno, martir.

Cameron Ellis, Ph.D. Dec 13, 2021