SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYS
SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, PUNE
SUBJECT
PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AND LIFESTYLE
TOPIC
SIGNIFICANCE OF PHILOSOPHY IN ATTAINING
A GOOD LIFE
PRESENTED BY
SHRISTI SINHA (255)
1
st
B.B.A., LL.B
Div C
INDEX
TOPIC PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. VARIOUS PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES 1
3. PLATO 1
4. STOIC PHILOSOPHY 2
5. ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY 3
6. CONCLUSION 4
INTRODUCTION
Francis Bacon began Of the colours of Good and Evil with the sentence, In deliberatives the
point is, what is good and what is evil, and of good what is greater, and of evil what is less.
If we understand good and evil to be used here, we too may use this sentence to
introduce our present subject.
1
Philosophy is nothing but the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and
existence. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical,
generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. The word philosophy
comes from Old French word philosophie, via Latin from Greek word philosophia which
means love of wisdom.
Today philosophy is becoming an integral part of life as it helps in dealing with various
problems related to life. Many of the problems of philosophy are of such broad relevance to
human concerns, and so complex in their ramification, that they are, in one form or another,
perennially present. Though in the course of time they yield in part to philosophical inquiry,
they may need to be rethought by each age in the light of its broader scientific knowledge and
deepened ethical and religious experience.
VARIOUS PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES
PLATO
The foundation of Plato's theory on the good life rests on the idea that everything has one
function or use which it is naturally suited for. The justness, beauty, virtue and excellence of
a particular thing depend on the fulfilment of that function. According to this idea, even man
has one function for which he is naturally suited. Man is, of course, a bit more complicated
1
Ethics, William K. Frankena, Second Edition, ISBN 81-203-0216-8
than a chair or a horse, so figuring out his proper function is by no means an easy task and
one subject to much debate.
It can easily be observed that Plato emphasises on completing the one function for which
he is made. Although it is difficult to analyse what that function is, man should never get
deviated from that function in order to live a happy life. This function is nothing but the
purpose of life of an individual.
In the Republic Plato argues that the proper uses or function of man and his soul is to live
justly and to achieve a state of unity and harmony. The soul itself is composed of several
conflicting parts. But this state of conflict is undesirable and man must attempt to harmonize
his soul. This can be done by teaching each part to perform its function as nature dictates,
without interfering in the business of other parts. It is important to realize that each part is
intended to perform its role well, not just to perform it. When the parts of the soul are
fulfilling their natural functions well and, under the guidance of reason, are in harmony and
balance with the others, then the soul is just, unified, good and happy.
Plato mainly considered that inner peace and satisfaction should be the broader objective of
life and one should set some aims in life which will then help in achieving the inner
happiness.
STOIC PHILOSOPHY
The end, according to Hellenistic philosophers, is "that for the sake of which everything is
done, but which is not done for the sake of anything". This definition assumes happiness to
be the end. According to Stoic philosophers, one must live in accordance with nature in order
to be happy. For humans, this includes perfecting reason as well as studying nature and
attending to things. By living in accordance with nature, one is also leading a life of virtue.
Thus, a virtuous life in accordance with nature is a happy life.
Zeno describes happiness as a good flow of life, which is the same thing as a happy life. It is
also described as a target which one must work towards thereby making happiness an end
product. This must be done on both an individual level and a community level. If ever a
conflict should arise between personal nature and that of the community as a whole, one
should place the nature of the community above his interest. The reason for this action is that
the individual's nature is included in a bigger nature (the community's nature).
Thus their basic philosophy was to attain happiness and the happiness of community is
considered more important than the happiness of an individual. But this is quite confusing in
itself. According to this philosophy, in cases where there is a conflict between the decisions
of an individual and the community, the decision in which the community will be happy shall
prevail. But this will not lead to satisfaction of the individual and thus happiness as an end
result will not be achieved.
ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY
In the Holy Qur'an, God teaches that human beings were created in order to worship Him,
and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic
encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human
affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God
alone and in accordance to His Divine Law
2
. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to
religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and
such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged.
Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only
judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and
well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally
capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God
has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is one's deeds and action.
3
Thus it can be inferred from the Islamic prophecy that the proper way to live your life is to
act by thinking whether your deeds will be accepted by god or not. This is nothing but the
moral way of living life. This teaching is quite important in todays perspective where people
are busy in their own life without giving a thought about the inner satisfaction.
2
http://www.unification.net/ws/wsintr4.htm
3
Understanding Eastern Philosophy, Ray Billington, ISBN 0-415-12965-6
Today when the world is full of unethical issues like terrorism, corruption etc, values like
humility is replaced by ego; charity has been replaced by possession and slowly good is being
replaced by evil. Thus the teachings of Islam can play a very important role in enlightening
the humans today.
CONCLUSION
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all
4
-Oscar Wilde
Philosophy has always dealt with the study of ethics, which is the study of happiness and how
best to attain it (or indeed if and how that is possible). There are, as you might guess, many
and varied answers to these questions. I would guess that every single person is, and
should be; interested in whether we can be happy, what happiness is, and how we can act so
as to obtain happiness. Everyone should be interested to know what the philosophers of the
West and East have said about happiness and how best to attain it. The answers range from
true happiness is not attainable in this lifetime to happiness is a state of mind or
happiness is an activity and so on. You may not think that any or all of these views of
happiness are correct, but you might be able to put another theory together using your
favourite parts of some of the extant ones. It is worth finding out if someone has already
articulated the right theory, or whether you can improve on an existing theory, since nothing
less than your current and future happiness may be riding on your view of happiness.
4
www.goodreads.com
BIBLIOGRPHY
1. Ethics, William K. Frankena, Second Edition, ISBN 81-203-0216-8
2. http://www.unification.net/ws/wsintr4.htm
3. Understanding Eastern Philosophy, Ray Billington, ISBN 0-415-12965-6
4. www.goodreads.com
