I'm starting this series on the ancient philosophers with the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. This philosopher-emperor was one of the most important Stoic philosophers, and his book of Meditations is relevant and well-regarded today.
The Stoics agreed with Aristotle that the goal of human life was to be happy. Unlike some other philosophers, they believed that the greatest happiness could be found in possessing human virtue. It didn't matter what happened to you, in their view, you could still be happy simply by having the virtuous qualities of self-control, wisdom, courage, justice, and so on. They thought things like wealth, health, and prestige, though nice, weren't necessary to achieve the finest human goal in life.
What do you think about this? Is it possible to live a happy life simply by possessing virtue? Is it possible to be happy without health or wealth?
Here is one of my favorite quotes from this Stoic Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. It's found in Book 5, meditation 9.
Do not be disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if you do not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when you have failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what you do is consistent with human nature, and love that to which you return.
And do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus you will not fail to obey reason, and you will repose in it.
And remember that philosophy requires only the things which human nature requires; but you would have something else which is not according to nature. -- It may be objected, Why what is more agreeable than this which I am doing?-- But is not this the very reason why pleasure deceives us?
And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than wisdom itself, when you think of the security and the happy course of all things which depend on the faculty of understanding and knowledge?
Again, good stuff! I think it is possible to be happy without wealth. To be alive and exist I think is wealth in-of-itself. I believe this is what Marcus Aurelius is trying to convey. I also have a feeling he is suggesting that happiness is a 'frame of mind' and those who posses wisdom already know this secret to life, and we should learn to be content with what we have rather than to be discontented with what we don't have. Our reality is what we make of it, if we can not find and appreciate the beauty, wonder and joy, already before us, how will we ever be happy? However, the health question is a little more challenging for me because, it is my opinion that sound health would be directly linked to one's quality of life. Overall, this does make one really consider that failure is not failure when you keep pressing on and don't give up. Thanks for sharing! BB MD
Bia'Aletheia09:46 PM EST