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wow just got back form a short break and when i logged on tonight there was a Philosophy Forum.

Well done storm and Raz and everyone else!!!!

OK back to topic lets presuppose just for the sake of argument that these are four distinctly different paths. You are confronted with a series of choices that determine whether or not you will be happy or miserable in a permanent way. This is not about the ends you have set your heart on, but the means by which you intend to achieve your goal.

Which would be more important?
I can identify schools of thought that represent any one of the four and the answer is far more simple then you might think, if you are being honest and really think about it.

The question for debate:
What is the means to the end of the 'good life'. The choice of categories should be which one is more important if you had to chose between them.

Some food for thought from someone who posed the question a long time ago:
"EVERY art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim. But a certain difference is found among ends; some are activities, others are products apart from the activities that produce them."---Aristotle man he was a great philosopher

I can't vote. Simple as that. None of the possible answers constitute as bliss to me. Contentment, Acheivement, Conquest and Knowledge each give satisfaction in different ways, and are all necessary elements in my personal happiness. Along with a hell of a lot more.......

Quite being so complex Syren. Just vote Pleasure like we all expect you to.

I just want to play video games and get laid whenever I want. That would be a perfect life for me.

That was unexpected, to say the least.

But ok, I'll say Pleasure. Gotta keep up the Club rep

ummmm Club rep?

well then what about your life as a Diva in real life?

For me the experiences that you get in life is what determines a good life. Things like Pleasure, knowledge, health, are only things that enrich the soul (if you believe that we have a soul). But experiences is what determine a good life. Of course we all share different experiences in our lives. So we tend to have different views on what a good life is.

You should maybe re-phrase that. A good life is different for everyone.

For me (out of those options), Im gonna say pleaseure, since there is no such thing as an absolute truth, everyone needs an enemy and what is moraly right, is often forgoten by what is convinient, so im gonna have to go for Pleasure...out fo those.


My deffinition of good life is the one where im content with myself, absolutely and truly.

My perfect life would be, if i didnt desire anymore and to be content and absolutely happy with what i have and whth what i am.

Well now I'm under all sorts of pressure. But I basically agree with Syren--none of what you have listed is, by itself, the key to happiness. For example: if you have a working conscience, I don't think you'll be able to live a happy life without virtue--but I do not believe that virtue alone is enough to make one happy. Even Aristotle, who you quote, selected not one but two elements from your list--not merely virtue or knowledge, but virtue achieved through thought and knowledge.

Incidently, I recognize where you got virtue (Aristotle), pleasure (hedonism), and knowledge (Gnosticism)--but where did you get conquest from?

I totally agree

For me, experience is a necessity. The saying "live long and prosper" drives me nuts. I don't care if I die at a young age, I don't care if I die poor, all I want when I take my final breath are memories, to know that I have actually lived, rather than simply existed.

No, no no! Long life is the worst curse, according to Budhhism that you can put upon someone. Life is suffering.

I love Buddhism, maybe we should discuss it, since its a philosophy not a religion

Syren>I tend to think that memories are timeless. Even when we die our spirit still carries them. I like to believe that there is meaning in life. Experiences is what matters the most.

ok ok lol i dont think i thought this question through enough.

ok let me help

Knowledge

My spirituality dictates this choice, as I would guess most people's own spirituality would dictate their choices. A Zen philosophy - the general quest for ultimate truth is the spiritual journey of my life. I would identify the goal as Buddhist, except I'm always hesitant when trying to classify my own "religion" in terms of the history of those who claimed to have practiced it. My spirituality is most closely related to Buddhism, but that's as far as I'd go towards a declaration of religiosity.

The "good life", to me, revolves around understanding the emotions of my life. Understanding why things that trouble me are troubling. Understanding why others hurt, or hurt each other. If you can understand life, you can take the steps to fix the injustices, or to ignore the unfixable. You can appreciate sadness as just an emotion to contrast happiness, you can live a life void of despair. What a great life that will be.

This is all personal decision though. I wouldn't expect any of these categories to be proven "the right way to achieve the good life" or "the wrong way to achieve the good life.

man i am tired

Well, you just gave your brain one hell of a workout!

And Lils, did you mean "No no no" to my post? If so, why? I said that I don't mind how long I live, or how well I do, what I acheive, how much I know. I simply want to experience as much as I possibly can.

I've been through a lot at a young age, but I wouldn't say I have any regrets. I prefer to look at my life so far as a learning curve. A rather large one

I ment no no no as in generaly. Wishing anyone a long life is a curse.

OK, well, I don't quite understand why it should be seen as a curse for someone to live long, but I suppose you have your views, as do I

Reduce this to factoids Ash. Are you trying to endorse some Freudian outlook or something?

OK, factoids = ??

Ash = Who??

Freud = Odd, but utterly fascinating......

Im absolutely fascinated with Freud! Whenever someone says Freud i think about 'Ego'

Also, freud said that when you dream about your teeth falling out, it means masturbation.

I love the three stages he talked about at the beginning of life, I cannot remember the names, coz my brain's dusty, but it concentrates on the relationships between mother/daughter, father/son. Weird, quite sick, but fascinating all the same

http://palousepeace.org/ego.gif *ahem* you had to ask for ego http://palousepeace.org/ego.gif

You haven't seen his theory at work on the nursey rhyme The Three Blind Mice http://bb.bbboy.net/moods/wtf.gifhttp://bb.bbboy.net/moods/LOL.gif

omg those smilies crack me up!

They're supposed to indicate a disordered psychehttp://bb.bbboy.net/moods/LOL.gif

The ones with the blown up heads remind me of the aliens off Mars Attacks! Or the Butt Ugly Martians.....

I got in touble with the host of their native site for using them though since they automatically make a post "inflammatory."

And that means what?

Designed to cause aggression

Oooh, well, that's nice

A life by which the person has a good self image and is genuinely pleased with their surroundings.

there all good

A good life means no violence,no stress,no worries,no judgement,no
racism, etc

I would say living a moral life would be a good life.And not having a mom and dad who was not married but is married a good life.Too bad I don't come from that kind of family.
(sign)oh well!JM

there is almost no such thing as a good life, the only thing that comes close is a life full of love, joy and peace{beeing at peace with who u are and with the people around u}

Hmmm i would have said conquest, but it seems i have already voted

Anyway conquest is what make a happy life

a happy life/good life is define as one has reached it's purpose in life...

I vote for happiness.

Are you happy in this life?
If so, then I would say that you have a "good life"

I heard or read a similiar question about this topic somewhere. It went something like this......

Upon death, when you meet your maker. And he or she gave you the opportunity of reliving your entire life again, moment for moment(but without the knowledge of what your doing once you're born) from birth to death..........if you answer yes then supposedly you've had a good life up to that point and a bad life, or not good, if you'd answer no.

At this point in time I would say NO to that question. I don't know if I've had a bad life or good life up to this point. Certainly the pain has overshadowed the joy and that would be the reason for my answer. What would you do?

blah double post

It's simple. A generic description would be: TO ACHIEVE WHAT IT IS YOU'RE AFTER IN LIFE, AND TO HAVE A CONSTANT PRESSENCE OF THAT.

suicide,or partying,drinkin and drugs w/no family just friends!

Following the Eight-fold Path.

I don't think there is such a thing as a good life.I mean not everyone's life is perfect.So how can one say oh I have a good life?JM

My life doesn' t need to be perfect at all to be a good life. I do have a good life.

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.

How stupid. Why can't I vote for Kutulu.

HE IS MY LIFE...