Comparing Epicurus 'And Socrates' View Of The Good Life

Both Epicurus and Socrates have different but similar takes on what we need to do in order to achieve the “good life”, but come to the conclusion that not knowing the difference between wanting and needing are what holds back most people in the end.

First of all, Socrates’ views on the good life were to live a simple life, and that happiness does not come from material goods, but from three things: (1) what we define as happiness, (2) our relationship between pleasure and happiness, and (3) the overall connections between morality, pleasure, and happiness.

The first item that concerns our happiness is what we define as happiness. Socrates explains the balance between our different body parts and health of a person are deeply connected and therefore create a bond of happiness within a person. Another concept of happiness that Socrates connects to our definition of happiness is the idea of justice and the soul.

This is displayed when we are facing injustice around us, we keep an inside composure: “psychic harmony” (4444a) This i interpret as no matter the life circumstance that a person finds themselves in, they keep their outside/inside composure through it all. The concept of happiness is then proven to be an internal benefit rather than an external one. Next the 2nd item of happiness.
The second item of happiness deals with the idea of pleasure and what it means to a person. The idea translates roughly to are you living a moral life or an un-moral one: in other words inner tranquility as opposed to living a life that is full of stress and anxiety. As seen in Apology, Socrates is all for finding happiness through wisdom, and continuing to pursue knowledge wherever you are in life. Next the 3rd item of happiness according to Socrates.
The third item has all to do with Zeus, himself. Zeus was all about immediate gratification, especially when it came to the idea and what constitutes as pleasure. Socrates argues that when we are seeking out these immediate pleasures, we are looking for a sense of pleasure but instead as a way for ourselves to seek out pain. An example of this concept is eating a big piece of cake: the immediate gratification is pleasure, but after the cake is gone, the feeling turns to regret or in some cases pain. Now i will explain Epicurus’ view of what the good life is.
Second of all, Epicurus’ views on what the good life does not involve gaining material possessions or eating delicious food, but instead with gaining the absence of any form of mental distress and the existence of any type of bodily pain.

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

explained.
Uniquely, Socrates does not use the ideal of acceptance of death in his explanation of the good life ideal. Where Epicurus talks about learning to accept death Socrates does not involve that in his good life ideal. Epicurus talks about the importance of having friends in your life, but also stresses the importance of letting those friends go when they become a hindrance on your happiness in your life. Socrates stresses the importance of pleasure in your quest for a good life, stating that these pleasures should be uninvolved with stress and/or anxiety. A final difference between the two philosophers is that Socrates stresses the importance of internal harmony with one’s self; maintaining order with in the body.
In conclusion, personally I would choose Socrates’ path to a good life. I would choose this path because he stresses the importance of the harmonious balance within one’s body. I also agree with his stance on immediate gratification: eating a cheeseburger and feeling satisfied with the taste and the fullness of the meal, but a couple hours later feeling the pain of eating sed unhealthy meal and having to deal with the consequences of that once great idea of an easy meal of that cheeseburger.