Great minds run in the same direction. But in the case of great minds like Epicurus (342 – 270 B.C.E.) and Epictetus (50 – 130 C.E.), the road toward their common goal differed. Both Epicurus and Epictetus believe that it is in human nature to seek out pleasure and that happiness implicates serenity. However, Epicurus differs from Epictetus in that Epicurus does not believe that it is the virtues that bring about happiness, but rather, one’s own pleasure. While both Epicurus and Epictetus confer their opinions on happiness, it is consequently apparent by juxtaposing these two philosophers that their views on how to achieve is different, this can be proved by comparing their individual ethical theories.
Epicurus was a hedonist and believed that pleasure was the end/goal of life. He was born and educated on the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea. He moved to Asia Minor later and taught there for some years until he moved to Athens in 306 B.C.E. and taught in his famous garden, The Garden of Epicurus, until he died (Great Traditions in Ethics, 35). Epicurus lived a life of frugality and simplicity. Epicurus' ethical theory cultivates from his belief that “nothing is created out of nothing” and hence he argues “…that only natural causes operate in the world…” (39). Epictetus, on the other hand, was a firm stoic and hence practiced stoicism in his ethical theory and believed “hedonism is a false doctrine” (56). Epictetus was born in the Greek city of Hierapolis in Phrygia. In his later life, he started (another) school in Nicopolis and taught there until his death (Great Traditions of Ethics, 48). Since Epicurus and Epictetus had different foundations for their theories, their views on ethics and how it relates to happiness varied.
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... and ethical views such that, Epicurus does not deny God’s existence but believes there are no intervention in our lives. Epictetus’ ethical views are influenced by his stoic stance and therefore believe God plays a huge role in our lives. But when it comes to death, Epicurus and Epictetus stand on the same level. They both believe that anxiety is the greatest barrier to happiness and that one should live frugally and obtain pleasure. And therefore, I can conclude that all great minds think alike...sometimes.
Works Cited
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Denise, Theodore Cullom, Nicholas P. White, and Sheldon Paul Peterfreund. "Self-Discipline." Great Traditions in Ethics. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 47-57. Print.
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Epicurus describes these particular aspects of the good life as desires that are natural and necessary desires; for example having access to food and/or the company of friends. When it comes to friends, Epicurus believes that if a friend is experiencing pain and that pain is affecting you in a painful way, then you should let go of that friend, because the friend is hindering you from experiencing real happiness. Obtaining natural and unnecessary desires are seen as just a gateway to unhappiness and an unnecessary burden. The constant desire one has to obtain these unnecessary desires is another way of allowing pain and anxiety into your life. Epicurus also believes that another way to true happiness is the acceptance of the fact that everyone eventually dies. Next the differences between the two ideals will be
Epictetus represents a myriad of concepts. One concept of which being that one should live with the awareness of human imperfection and finitude. He expresses the sentiment that one is able to relinquish the feelings of disrespect and desire by allowing all that is ill-fated to appear before one’s eyes each day. Epictetus states, “Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively” (XXI). It is important that we are attentive to the fact that there is much unhappiness and despair in this world. If we do not expose ourselves to such matters, these things will consume us.
Epicurus was admittedly a Hedonist, and this philosophy has had a huge influence on his work. Especially so on his death argument. Hedonism is, “the doctrine that pleasure is the only thing that is good in itself for a person, pain the only thing that is bad in itself for a person.”
Hursthouse, R. (2003, July 18). Virtue Ethics. Stanford University. Retrieved March 6, 2014, from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2013/entries/ethics-virtue
Hedonism is a theory of morality. There are several popular philosophers who support hedonism; some of whom offer their own interpretation of the theory. This paper will focus on the Epicurean view. Epicurus, a Greek philosophers born in 341 B.C., generated a significant measure of controversy amongst laymen and philosophical circles in regards to his view of the good life. Philosophers whom teachings predate Epicurus’ tended to focus on the question of “How can human beings live a good, morally sound, life?” Epicurus ruffled feathers and ultimately expanded the scope of philosophy by asking “What makes people happy?”
Shafer-Landau, R. (2013) Ethical Theory: An Anthology (Second Edition). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Weston, Anthony. A Practical Companion to Ethics. 4th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
In the history of ethics there are three principal standards of conduct, each of which has been proposed as the highest good: happiness or pleasure; du...
Epicurus. "Letter to Menoeceus." Voices of Ancient Philosophy. Ed. Julia Annas. New York: Oxford, 2001. 85-92. Print.
Many stoic philosophers have taken a different approach to virtue and happiness. Homer and Epicurus for instance argue that happiness through desires and virtue are co-dependent suggesting that men with no desires cannot live happy lives. This slightly counters Seneca’s belief that happiness is a result of virtue.
Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, saw death as a total extinction with no afterlife to ensue, he regarded the universe as infinite and eternal and as consisting only of space and atoms; where the soul or mind is constructed of indestructible parts that can never be destroyed. He sought to free humanity from the fear of death and of the gods, which he considered the main cause of unhappiness.
Happiness can be viewed as wealth, honour, pleasure, or virtue. Aristotle believes that wealth is not happiness, because wealth is just an economic value, but can be used to gain some happiness; wealth is a means to further ends. The good life, according to Aristotle, is an end in itself. Similar to wealth, honour is not happiness because honour emphases on the individuals who honour in comparison to the honouree. Honour is external, but happiness is not. It has to do with how people perceive one another; the good life is intrinsic to the...