Thursday, August 13, 2009

Do you think that Epicurus’ methods to achieve happiness will work in our modern societies? Why or why not?

Do you think that Epicurus’ methods to achieve happiness will work in our modern societies? Why or why not?

All human beings live in this world with fear, sadness, difficulties, and problems. To overcome these particular kinds of unwilling facts, Epicurus- a famous philosopher in Hellenistic period has taught about this point to attain pleasure thought achieving desires and overcoming fears. These challenging ideas are still popular and useful until today. In the modern societies, his concepts about pleasure are partly right and wrong in overcoming fear, maximizing happiness thought desires.
In the real world of competition, desire is one of a powerful need and strongly influences in order to make individuals happy. Among these kinds of desires, the natural desire can be applied and achieve in our modern world easily. With in the development of agricultural, industrial and social sectors, food, water, shelter, and some kinds of basic supplies can be fulfill to people’s need. Even though those things are more difficult to find than the past, it is still available in the sustainable way. For example from the past till present, rice or wheat is still available and cheap. Those kinds of products are our people’s basic needs which can supply our whole world from hunger. Not only rice or wheat but also clothes are easy to find in everyday use. When all kinds of these necessary goods are easy to fulfill people can maximize their happiness.
In contrast, sometimes happiness is not easy to satisfy when desires are difficult to fulfill. In this modern world some resources are limited and scarce that leads people hard and tries more effort to find. For example, people mostly like and want diamond and gold. From one to another day, these natural resources are scarce, so they spend more money to buy and effort to find. With these difficulties and efforts people start to work heard in order to fulfill their desires. So, Epicurus’ ideas about maximizing happiness are partly wrong.
On the other hand, this modern world is the world of competition before getting their desires or happiness. Completely different from the past before getting the real power or fame one has to compete with other candidates, famous persons, or popular persons. It is the fact that in order to become a president of one country candidates he/she must be qualify and capable enough to lead huge amount of citizens. Example, the president of the US- Bill Clinton was a challenge candidate among many who had to compete before became a president. Moreover, within his career he had to convince with parliamentary members to prove about sexual intercourse corruption he made. More about unhappiness with Al-Gore, who did not win the election, he needed power but he did not get enough support by the majority. It can be possible if this situation occurred in the long past. With his ability and outstanding Gore could form a group and he could become a leader. However, in this modern world he could not get what he wanted. When his desires cannot be satisfied this empty desires people need to limit their desires in order to make them happy.
Not only to get pleasure by fulfilling desires but also eliminating fears. The statement of overcoming the death can be applied and proved in some particular times and situation. That is correct to teach people not be fear from death when they cannot escape from it. However, in this modern world, one must use their rational thinking to think off the disadvantages of not fear from death. The real world, during the cold war if not because of fear between the USSR and the USA, this small world would be destroyed by the great war because of using the modern weapons. With in this fear, this modern world can stay still and exist till to day with peace and happiness.
Constantly, sometimes overcoming fear does not helpful to people. In some situation, fear is the advantage of updating knowledge or skills. In this sense, fear is really good to make one to prepare, be ready, and advance to overcome obstacles. In real life students mostly are fears with the out-coming exam. With this particular fear, they learn heard, prepare and summarize all lessons, and memorize all important points and ideas. This advanced preparation lead them happy ending when passing the exam.
In short, Epicurus’ ideas of happiness even have lasted for long time but still correct and can be applied in modern society and some points. The concepts of maximizing of happiness through natural desires can be applied. However, happiness by getting from luxury goods, power, or fame cannot be applied easily when the natural resources are scar. Moreover, the concept of overcoming fear is partly correct while fear can make us be careful and ready before doing something.

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