Epicurus and Thomas Aquinas

Epicurus believes the goal of human life is to live as "godlike" as possible. He argues that we must follow four basic rules to live such a life. First, we must preserve the indestructibility and blessedness of the gods. If we do so, we will have no need to fear the gods because the gods welcome those who reflect godly virtues. Second, we must accept our mortality. He describes life as a "sense-experience" Death merely means we cease to exist, and if we do not exist, then we have nothing to fear from death. Third, we must choose prudently between acceptable levels of pleasure and pain. He states that "pleasure is the starting-point and goal of living blessedly. " However, we must choose what pleasures we seek based on the advantages and disadvantages of each choice. Sometimes we must endure pain to achieve a greater pleasure. Fourth, we must adhere to the virtues of honor and justice. Anyone who respects the virtues of prudence, honor, and justice, he argues, will live a blessed life.

Epicurus believes philosophy--the contemplation of life and its meaning--is the means to a blessed life. He argues that the ultimate goal of life is to attempt as much as possible to live like the gods. He believes it is better to make affirmative decisions rather than to rely on chance. We make these decisions based on our desires, but we must realize that some of these desires are natural and necessary and some

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Approximate Word count = 960
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

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