Three Key Aspects Of Life In Thomas Hurka's The Best Things In Life

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The philosophical text “The Best Things in Life: A Guide to What Really Matters”, by Thomas Hurka illustrates the three key aspects of a good life and well-being; ethical hedonism, desire satisfaction, and objectivism. Ethical hedonism describes how something is intrinsically good for you if it’s a state of pleasure, your well-being improves when you experience pleasure. Desire satisfaction defines how something is intrinsically good for you if you intrinsically desire it, your well-being improves when you satisfy an intrinsic desire. Objectivism is about how some things are intrinsically good for you independently of any desire you may have or any pleasure you may get, your well-being improves when you acquire those things. Hurka believes that the best things in life are knowledge, achievement, pleasure, …show more content…

Yes, knowledge benefits you because you have a deeper understanding of the world but what does one do with that knowledge. A child has significantly less knowledge than an adult and children are usually substantially more happy than adults. Knowledge grants us power more that it does happiness. I think that knowledge does not benefit us as much as some other goods, but it is still an important good. Without knowledge, we wouldn’t have certain advancements in health, technology, and education. But are all those things more important that happiness? Yes, they most defiantly contribute to happiness: without good health we are sure to be less happy than if we could freely move and be active, but even if you are sick or dying, you can still be happy. Dr. Randy Pausch describes this well. Although he is dying, he is making a huge push to be happy with the amount of time he has left. Knowledge isn’t the most important thing to him, being happy with his family in the little amount of time he has left is. This proves that, yes, knowledge is an important aspect of life, but it is not the most valuable

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