The Meaning of Life According to Socrates, Epicurus, and Me

The Meaning of Life According to Socrates, Epicurus, and I The Meaning of Life According to Socrates, Epicurus, and I The two philosophers I chose to examine for the purposes of this paper/exercise are Socrates and Epicurus. As stated, these men were exclusively philosophers, while they were also writers and theorists. I chose Socrates because he is a fundamental fixture in Western philosophy. He is respected and read by scholars and professionals all around the world for centuries. Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers who directly influenced a number of other famous philosophers, including those during his lifetime. I chose Epicurus because I was forced by my parents to take Latin. As part of my Latin studies and translations, we had to translate some of Epicurus work. What struck me about him was his sense of humor, as well as being one of the earliest western philosophers who had a concept of atoms and molecules. I am familiar with Socrates in a more general sense because he is so well-known, but I am familiar with Epicurus on a literary and conceptual level. As part of my studies in Latin, I had to translate as well as analyze a number of his works. I have read a few of Socrates texts, as part of assignments for professors, not necessarily out of my own interests. I have had to engage in Socrates works in courses on philosophy, political science, and literature. I have read some of Epicurus texts from start to finish, at first because of assignments,Show MoreRelatedMeaning of Life Essay1392 Words   |  6 PagesJermaine Smith Period 7 The True Meaning of Life What is the meaning of life? Well known Greek philosphers such as Socrates and Plato believed that our purpose in this life was to gain knowledge in preparation for the next life. Other Philosophers such as Epicurus believed that pleasure is the main goal in life. After giving these ideas lots of thought, I have come to my own conclusion that the true meaning of life is far more complex than either of these; far too complex for any humanRead More Meaning of life Essay1372 Words   |  6 Pages The True Meaning of Life nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What is the meaning of life? Well known Greek philosphers such as Socrates and Plato believed that our purpose in this life was to gain knowledge in preparation for the next life. Other Philosophers such as Epicurus believed that pleasure is the main goal in life. After giving these ideas lots of thought, I have come to my own conclusion that the true meaning of life is far more complex than either of these; far too complex for any humanRead MoreLife after Death, Reincarnation, Resurrection and Immortality of the Soul1735 Words   |  7 PagesLife after Death, Reincarnation, Resurrection and Immortality of the Soul Belief in life after death has taken many forms, some which are unique in particular religious belief systems, though; others can be found in more than one religion. For most religions, life after death is an article of faith. In Western religions, the belief is founded in scriptural evidence, but for all religions the belief in life after death is the same: life after death has been promised toRead MoreComparing Nietzsche s Vision Of Geothe2856 Words   |  12 Pagesconsiderations, though, sorting through the tumultuous noise and clutter of the world around me for the some obscured or hidden meaning was not necessary. To me, the noise and clutter is the meaning. I do not live for what is hidden; I live for what is all around me. My experiences are not tools that assist me in find some truth. Rather, they are the truth. In other words the Good in my life is, in fact, life in its entirety. There is no aspect of it I would wish to escape. I seek only to engage moreRead MoreThe Death Of Death And Death1804 Words   |  8 PagesBoth Socrates and Lucretius have similar outlooks on death, but the reasoning as to why they believe death should not be feared are completely different. Socrates states that death is not dreadful because we do not know what is ahead of us and through this concept arises a term called reincarn ation. Lucretius, on the other hand, says that the soul does not go anywhere when we die and that everything is materialistic. He goes on to say that death does nothing to us because we once started with nothingRead MoreThe Philosophy of Happiness11705 Words   |  47 Pageslong-term happiness. What he means rather is that if you plan your life—and any sensible person, he thinks, ought to have a plan of life, at 14 Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Utility least in the form of a set of priorities—your top priority, your overarching goal, will show what you take to be a worthwhile life, and thus what you mean by ‘happiness’. Indeed, in the light of what Aristotle says, we might offer ‘worthwhile life’ as the most appropriate translation of his word ‘eudaimonia’. But