What is a Good Life?

What is a Good Life? Human beings have an inherent drive and passion for finding absolution in what they deem the good life. For decades however, philosophers have struggled to argue a solid case for such. It can be suggested that many facets work in unison to allow a good life, but what is it that could give a unified answer to this great philosophical question? This essay will attempt to clarify such uncertainty, considering two perspectives of the good life. Firstly, are there any characteristics, needs, abilities and sorted other elements that are shared by all humans? Secondly, if there are elements which exist, then what do these require the good life to include, or what must the good life be like, given the properties we all share? To attain the answers to these questions, reference will be given to Natural Law, Virtue Theory, Eudaemonia and happiness. We are all striving towards it, the good life, happiness, well-being, a well-lived life, fulfilment. But what is it that makes us feel good? Though difficult to give a comprehensible definition, goodness is generally referred to as specific traits or properties of a real object or set of objects. More so, the concept of goodness can be divided into other, subsidiary concepts (Goodness and Value Theory, 2004). That is, a series of events which lead to innate goodness. In essence, both are deemed circular and leave no meaningful definition for discussion. The good life is a condition in which a person will be the most happy. Such happiness can be researched through a deductive perspective, which has been done by many philosophers over time (Wernqvist, 2007). Two such philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, deem the good life as the state in which a person exhibits total virtue. Throughout this essay, their works will be compared and contrasted to give clear argument to the meaning a good life for humans. Humans, their characteristics and their activities can be evaluated in relation to the parts they play in human life (Meyers-Levy, 2009). Alternatively saying, that every facet of human life can contribute to what is deemed good. Humans, being a subject of creation, ultimately entail goodness. Such a life is one in which actions someone does and feels leads to what is otherwise known as happiness. Such happiness is neither just an experience; nor is it found as a result of following moral laws. Rather, happiness is an activity. It is the events of the individual which lead to the life of good. INSERT REFERENCE Over time, philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have tried to highlight the concept of goodness by defending various accounts. Such accounts do not require that a person who is well off merely experience any feelings of happiness or satisfaction. What they do require is that their desires are consciously fulfilled, which does not come down to the same thing (Angner, 2009). Plato argues that a person will exhibit total virtue when their desires have been quenched (Cooper and Hutchison, 1997), while Aristotle believes the perfect state of the individual will bring their ultimate virtue (Solomon, 1984). Cooper and Hutchinson (1997) write that Platos argument for the good life is stemmed from love because through this, individuals can rid themselves of desires. That is, love is actually the quest for that good. Aristotle argues that the good life is different for each individual because it comes from living ones life according to ones virtues, and each person has different virtues (Solomon, 1984). Through analysis of their works, both Plato and Aristotle agree the good life is a demonstration of perfect virtue. However, they disagree on the particular definition of virtue and its relationship to happiness. Therefore, both disagree on the ways of attaining such happiness. Plato sees the good life as being attained through the perfect love and lack of desire (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997), while Aristotle believes that the good life is achieved through a perfect state which causes its citizens to act upon their virtues (Solomon, 1984). The original Platonic view of the world, (cited Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997) is that it is a two tiered place, the upper tier being the world of perfection, the lower tier being the world of reality, and love falling somewhere in between. The theory is that the plane of reality is an imperfect copy of the plane of perfection. According to the Platonic view, humans only see glimpses of the good while existing in the plane of reality. Plato believes that love is the midpoint between reality and perfection, mortality and immortality. Love does not fall into the sphere of immortals and perfection because how could love be a god if he is not in possession of beautiful and good things? Since Love is the love of beautiful things, Love must have desires and therefore cannot be a god Yet Love is greater than mortals because love has and always will exist. Thus Love is a great spirit, a halfway point between the realms of existence (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). To Plato, the good life is one in which a person is exhibits perfect virtue and is therefore closer to the higher realm of existence. Virtue is comes from the absence of desires, so true happiness means being satisfied to the point one does not have desires. This satisfaction and happiness occur when a person arrives at the mystical understanding of the world (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). According to Plato, through Diotima and Socrates dialogue, love is the medium in which humans will attain the knowledge of the good, and come upon this understanding. It is human nature to seek out happiness, and ownership of good things makes one happy. (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). Solomon (1984) illustrates that in order to show that happiness lies in virtue, Aristotle first splits forms of the good into three parts, external goods, goods of the body, and goods of the soul. He goes on to say that goods of the soul (virtues) are the most important because with them, a person can gain material wealth and pleasure. Aristotle defines happiness and therefore the good life as the realisation and perfect exercise of excellence. This is subsequently referred to as Eudaemonia. Aristotles view of such is typically regarded as an objective account of well-being. Nonetheless, subjective stances do evidently play some role in well-being even according to Aristotle (Phillips, 2005). This is where the existence of goodness becomes a subjective account, because it describes a persons well-being as a function of his or her feelings, experiences, desires, and so on, thus making it a conscious attribute of human life. From a basic Greek translation, Eudaemonia is that of supreme life with fulfilment and happiness, identified after ones death. Such life is built of variable actions of excellence which are both intrinsic and extrinsic in their nature (Urmson, 1988). Recognised, are three types of excellence by Aristotle. They are Bodily excellence, the excellence of Character and the excellence of Intelligence. Two of these excellences (character and intellect) fall within the realm of human choice and rationalism. Bodily excellence is paramount to Eudaemonia, however exhibits little reference in this context (Urmson, 1988). There are also a number of influences that determine such excellence, often as a result of our actions through life. Controlled intrinsic actions are separated into two forms: the Moral and the Intellectual. The Moral includes ones courage, piety, fairness and equality. The other form is that of Intellectual influences which include ones fine mind, wisdom and intuition. In contrast are ones extrinsic actions, which are often uncontrollable. They include our appearance, friends in high places (social connections) and wealth (Urmson, 1988). Our actions per sae can be defined as either a chain; those actions that help you attain an end which in turn leads to a further end or as a direct result; which is an action that helps you attain an end in itself. For supreme fulfilment, these actions work in unison with one another (Urmson, 1988). It is through such, as detailed by Urmson (1988) that happiness and fulfilment is an objective good, as opposed to a subjective state of living. This is not conditional, but absolute (Solomon, 1984). This in layman terms means ultimate happiness occurs when a persons actions are all virtuous and have goals which are virtuous. It also implies that in order to live the good life, there must be no action which is unnecessary, but for the sake of virtue. This implies that the good life must be a universal goal because unless all people are perfectly virtuous, action must be taken to maintain virtue for those who are not virtuous. Take for example, ones ambition to become a Primary School Principal. It is through relevant studies and experience that the individual is able to achieve such a goal. Though there may be monetary benefits for holding such position, it is not something that would drive the individual to achieve. Their character and intelligence hold the greatest motivation for fulfilment. Such an example utilises Aristotles Eudaemonic theory of unison between chained and direct actions as well as the forms of excellence, as previously adhered to. Basing such a goal on pleasurable or political instincts, such as salary or power, is not a means by which Aristotle would deem leading a fulfilled Eudaemonic life. There are however three things that make men good and excellent; these are nature, habit and reason (Solomon, 1984). The road to happiness is through formation of habit and reason which create virtuous action, in addition to possessing a nature that compliments them. Both Plato and Aristotle see happiness as being virtuous, but disagree on the nature of virtue, causing their ideas to follow varied paths. They do however meet at key points. Plato sees happiness as being close to godliness. By living virtuously one can obtain this godliness (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). To Aristotle, happiness is the result of being virtuous because by being so, one obtains pleasure and external wealth (Solomon, 1984). Plato and Aristotle further agree that education is the means to attain virtue, but they disagree on how a person should be educated because of their differing views on the cause of virtue. According to Aristotle (Solomon, 1984), virtue comes from the agreement of the nature, habits and reason in a humans conscience. Therefore, Aristotle states that education should begin from birth and it should involve changing the childs habits and forming his reason so that their nature, habits and reason will align. Plato believes that virtue stems from an understanding of true Beauty, which exists only in the higher plane of the world. Thus Plato believes that education of a human being should begin when the child is ready to love another. Platos ideal education involves bringing a person along by having him experience different forms of love between people, so that he may begin to love physical beauty and then beauty of the mind. Through this he sees the beauty in all things and eventually, with guidance understands all forms of beauty, ultimately understanding formless beauty (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). Another key agreement between Plato and Aristotle is the importance of interpersonal relationships in the quest for the good life. Both agree that interpersonal relationships account for the education of individuals, but Aristotle goes further because he sees attaining the good life as societal. He recognizes that if one is forced to take action because of others misdeeds, he cannot lead the good life, and therefore each person must be equal to the next so that nobody has to act on account of another (Cooper and Hutchinson, 1997). Human happiness is the foremost concern for both Plato and Aristotle in their works of literature. Since happiness is almost a universal emotion their conclusions on the cause of happiness is similar. But, Plato and Aristotle are completely different individuals, so the causes of their happiness are, at the same time, completely different. In personal evaluation, I am inclined to side with Aristotles point of view for ultimate fulfilment. It is through the result of actions of excellence (both direct and chained) that we can demonstrate our way of life. This in turn fortifies perceptions of us having led a fulfilled and happy life. If one opted to follow fulfilment through mere pleasurable circumstances, i.e. because the money is good, then in Aristotles eyes, their life would be one deemed lavish, suitable for beasts pulled by desire and compulsion. Happiness cannot be placed on material things. It is a matter of setting a goal and looking past the superficial things that stand in the way. It is therefore relevant to say that to lead a flourishing life, one needs to take ownership of the actions which lead to their lifelong goal. Actions often speak louder than words do. We as humans should do whatever it takes to produce the most fulfilment for ourselves. There is a distinct difference between feeling happy and merely being happy.

Research on Legalizing Marijuana Essay

Legalizing Marijuana has been a controversial and extremely volatile topic ever since the 1970’s. Many people hold strong beliefs regarding this topic and the subsequent laws that have been passed in certain states for the use of the recreational drug. However, marijuana is not just a recreational drug, but has many different wonderful medical purposes for the American people. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational and medical purposes throughout this country. This â€Å"drug† should be legalized throughout this country because unlike many of the legal substances that the United States provides, no one has died or been hospitalized for the use of marijuana. Additionally, marijuana would be an amazing product that the government can have their hands on, and provide it to the people all while taxing and regulating its product. This would have multiple benefits throughout every major city, depleting the use of illegal drug cartel and being able to extract millions, maybe even trillions amount of dollars in tax revenue. Finally, one of my concluding reasons as to why marijuana should be legalized is because marijuana, unlike all the legal substances, is not a gateway drug and according to many studies â€Å"A small minority of Americans- less than 1 percent- smoke marijuana on a daily basis† (CQ researcher 531). Those who are opposing this highly beneficial and amazing drug that could help potentially save lives, hide behind their numerous walls of misconception. A famous quote once said by Bob Marley says â€Å"herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.† This quote, I believe, was said to the nation of the United States indirectly. The damages that alcohol can do to ones body is much worse than of that of marijuana, and yet it is still legal. Whereas marijuana is illegal in most states and has more medical uses and benefits. â€Å"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 37,000 an-nual U.S. deaths, including more than 1,400 in Colorado, are attributed to alcohol use alone (i.e. this figure does not include accidental deaths). On the other hand, the CDC does not even have a category for deaths caused by the use of marijuana† (Saferchoice 1). Just because marijuana has been referred to as a drug many perceive it as being the type of drug where it controls the household, or breaks up the family, ruining the lives of the ones who used it. However I believe that this â€Å"drug† needs to be reevaluated for the good of humanity. â€Å"If people are truly growing it for personal consumption, its not an issue with us†(CQ Researcher 527) said Marc Alcantara and his 22 officer unit focus on commercial marijuana growing. Officers of the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force has his priorities straight when it comes to marijuana, but he is not talking about your â€Å"backyard smokers.† Marc is talking about the indoor growing operations that have skyrocketed in the last 5 years over 265 percent. â€Å"Indoor growing operations are capable of turning out three crops a year, typically grossing $250,000 per crop.†( CQ Researcher 527) With marijuana already a lucrative California crop, Alcantara believes that we should go completely legal in the state of California, and legalize the entire cannabis industry and tax the product. Of course, Alcantara is not the only person who gets a say in this, as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks that it is not a time where we can just legalize something as powerful as this, but its defiantly time to talk about it. Unfortunately â€Å"right now is a hard time to convince the U.S. Congress that smoking weed is medicine† (CQ Researcher 527). The big question as to why marijuana hasn’t been legalized yet is out on the table. People have been talking about this proposition for the last five to six years. Evaluating marijuana as a revenue source requires solid estimates of the size of marijuana crops, and the figures vary widely. A nationwide cannabis crop estimate of 10 million metric tons- worth 35.8 billion- was what  was recorded by the White House drug- policy office in 2003. But some dismiss this fact because individuals believe that the United States would need somewhere between â€Å"†¦ 4 to 10 times more cannabis than it needs to cover domestic consumption.†(CQ Researcher 530) Even with a high demand of consumptions the United States government would be able to regulate and tax the marijuana accordingly to help stimulate the economy. â€Å"If you made it licit, and taxed it, the price would collapse.† (CQ Researcher 530) Stating that it would be harder to sell on the streets making the product more of a pharmaceutical drug instead of a street drug. In 2005 cigarette smoking had declined drastically, â€Å"†¦378 billion cigarettes sold in the United States was the lowest number since 1951, when the nations population was about half its present size.†(CQ Researcher 530) Marijuana was not only more safe than the effects and harm of alcohol but also it is more safe than the effect of tobacco as well. Although marijuana has its perks, it is still a drug and can very well have its down sides. â€Å"Long term marijuana use can be addictive for some people† (CQ Researcher 531). For those people who smoke marijuana 27 out of 30 days, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours. But although these side effects will happen, they will however not kill you, unlike the effects of alcohol and tobacco. Also with the effects of marijuana in early adolescents, can increase the likelihood of drug problems later in life. Legalizing marijuana would not only help the individuals who could use the powerful effects of it, it could also make room in our jails and make it easier on our police officers out on the streets. No more will an officer have to make a report for someone who was casually smoking a joint on the park bench. â€Å"The budget issue is very important, but we should not loose sight  of the moral component- 700,000 Americans are being arrested every year for nothing more than a marijuana possession. Those arrested are separated from their loved ones, branded criminals, denied jobs and in many cases prohibited from accessing public assistance for life.† (CQ Researcher 533) Marijuana is used in our lives for entertainment purposes, for recreational purposes, and most of all health purposes. A recent Washington Post review of a concert by The Dead (formerly the Grateful Dead) described seeing in the audience a â€Å"50-something with a tucked in polo button down shirt, and a blackberry holster at the hip slyly taking a hit of a joint.† (CQ Researcher 532) This individual wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, nor was he trying to bother anyone, but because the substance he was smoking was illegal he was targeted. This man in any other setting wouldn’t be looked at as a criminal but instead he is now getting a ticket and a humiliating felony on his recored, that could potentially ruin his life. Marijuana has been a topic of discussion for the last decade. Whether to legalize it, or keep it a street drug. Some say that legalizing it will only make it worse for the environment, making it everywhere around us, and having the whole world high. Others say that legalizing it will help, not only the economy, but the people living in the United States tremendously. Some say that keeping it illegal is better, but then complain about how bad the economy is, while others say that keeping it illegal will only hurt us in the long run. Whichever side your on, make sure you have evidence that supports your reasoning. There are so many different opinions to this matter and I feel that in the sooner years it will should be legal. My thoughts I felt as if this article not only brought both elements to the table but  also gave me different ways to look at the certain situation. This article was both inspiring and reasonable. It showed me that there are certain reasons as to why this product isn’t quite legal on the street just yet. This article gave me facts that I had no idea about and I really liked how it didn’t side with one specific side. Having both sides of the argument in this topic showed me a new light towards why not legalize it. There are many reasons as to why you shouldn’t legalize it, but not too many for the side of why too legalize it. I found a lot of great and intellectual information in this article that I would love to use in my life, and found a few new ways to think of things towards this situation. I enjoyed reading this article a lot and actually look forward in reading some more in my future.

My goal in life Essay

My goal in life is to become a writer. I have always been fond of books. As I am an only child I was very lonely. Both my parents worked, leaving me in the care of servants. When I grew older I was a latchkey kid who let herself into an empty house with a spare key. All I had for company was my pet kitten and a shelf full of books. Books made me forget the fact that I was lonely. I could open a book and lose myself in the world that opened up to me in its pages. I wrote my first poem when I was seven years old and my first story when I was nine. My stories and poems are often published in the school magazine. It makes me feel so proud when someone tells me that they liked my story or poem. At first I had wanted to become a doctor. But later I decided that I wanted to become a full time writer. Books have given me such pleasure and solace that I want to do the same for others through my books. Before, people could not make a living through writing alone. But now things have changed. The huge advance that writers get has meant that good writers need not worry about income. There is more prestige attached to writing too, nowadays. My parents still hope that I will become a doctor as it means a steady income and I haven’t totally given up on it. But my real love is writing. To hone my skills I continue to read a lot. The books I read range from classics to Harry Potter. I want to read all kinds of writers so that I get an exposure to different styles of writing. I am also hoping to go to the US to get a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. It will definitely go a long way to bring me closer to my goal.

The Sex Industry Has Become A Global Multimillion Dollar...

The sex industry has become a global multimillion dollar industry that involves international sex trade, child prostitution, and pornography. This social problem has affected many individuals, is it considered a norm violation/deviance behavior. These involve promiscuous behaviors which are viewed as deviance. These behaviors and those who engage in them bring violence to society and it is not considered a social norm. Though some societies believe that the sex industry benefits the economy, others believe that it is a deviant career. Woman is the dominant factor because of economic inequality. Women are often viewed as an object and their bodies being commodities. As far as pornography, children and women are the victims. It is a threat†¦show more content†¦Technology has given the sex industry power in which they can market, deliver, and control women all around. Many of the sex trafficking occurs in low-developed countries, mainly because they do not have the economic fac tors to survive. Since there are many limited employment opportunities, the United States faces problems in which American children are recruited to be exploited in pornography, prostitution, or sex trafficking (U.S. Department of Justice 2015). The sex industry started rising when technology started advancing. For example, child pornography started increasing in the 1970s, when the relaxation of the censorship standards occurred (Wortley 2006). Since the sex industry started becoming profitable, people started making millions of dollars and from there it started rising. In 1996, reports were made that the Web was generating over 51.5 million dollars because of these sex industry sites. Some of the largest sites made up to 1 million dollars per month (Hughes 2000). In 1984 and 1988, the Supreme Court stated that they had the right to ban anything from the sex industry because of public morality (Lewis 2007). In 2001, UNICEF informed the public about how one million children are fo rced to work in the sex industry. Though many are abused and violated, they are often put at risk for contracting HIV. The victims who were used in trafficking or pornography did not use condoms. Women who are mostly trafficking victims had