The Philosophical Good Life

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that pleasure and the good is an important theme to philosophers. Various philosophers have differing ideas as to what the good life constitutes. The author points out that, in living a good life, it is important to maintain a balance regarding pleasurable activities while abstaining from extremes; however, completely abstaining from pleasure does not lead to the good life because we are not merely souls divorced from our bodies, we are whole entities. The paper analyzes the Calliclean, Aristotelian, Epicurean, and Stoicism philosophical approaches to the concept of pleasure and the good. The author concludes that the Aristotelian view on pleasure and the good seems to be the most plausible.

Table of Contents:
Theme: Pleasure and the Good
Callicles on Pleasure
Epicurus on Pleasure
Stoics on the Good
Aristotle on the Good
Analysis
Callicles on Pleasure and the Good
Epicurus on Pleasure and the Good
Aristotle on Pleasure and the Good
The Stoics on Pleasure and the Good
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"According to Aristotle, happiness is activity in accordance with virtue over a complete lifetime and pleasure perfects our activities. Since life is an activity, pleasure is an important aspect of life. Although Aristotle thinks that pleasure is a good, he doesn't think it is the good. Since we are rational agents, a life purely devoted to pleasure is incomplete because it allows no essential role to rational activity and mere pleasure without rational activity is not the good for a rational agent."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Plato's Gorgias by Donald J. Zeyl.
• Cicero On Moral Ends, Julia Annas.
• Helenistic Philosophy, Brad Inwood and L.P. Gerson.
• Nicomachean Ethics, Terence Irwin.
• A Presocratics Reader, Patricia Curd.

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• Analytical Essay # 121466 : "The Good Life"
• Term Paper # 110298 : "Greek Philosophy and Living a Good Life"
• Book Review # 114035 : "The Meaning of Life According to Susan Wolf"

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