What is the happy life?

[ToddNotTodd]

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

 

[mark kennedy]

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

Yea, Conan thought so. I'm not sure I would be happy living a life of violence and vengeance but opinions vary and who's to say.

 

[mark kennedy]

That's my view.

Incidentally, that isn't a broadly Greek view. It sounds like it sides with Aristotle. The Stoics, for instance, would not agree with "in a life affording them scope".


eudaimonia,

Mark

Indeed

Two of the most influential forms are those of Aristotle and the Stoics. Aristotle takes virtue and its exercise to be the most important constituent in eudaimonia but acknowledges also the importance of external goods such as health, wealth, and beauty. By contrast, the Stoics make virtue necessary and sufficient for eudaimonia and thus deny the necessity of external goods​

Eudaimonia

There would be some differences between the philosophy of soldiers and upper middle class intellectuals.

 

[Eudaimonist]

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

That goes without saying.


Crom!

Mark

 

[Tree of Life]

The blessing of God makes a happy life.

 

[Eudaimonist]

The blessing of God makes a happy life.

Meaning what? What sort of blessings are you talking about?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[mark kennedy]

The blessing of God makes a happy life.

Indeed, I was wondering if anyone would bring up the Beatitudes.

 

[Paradoxum]

Do you think Nelson Mandela was happy while he languished in prison for 30 years. I'm just saying, sometimes when you pursue a cause it's miserable. You do it because you believe it's the right thing to do. I guess you could argue that he was satisfied that he was doing the right thing, there's a fair amount of peace that can come from that.

I don't think everyone is Nelson Mandela. eg: You people who support gay rights aren't in prison, but the are doing a good thing. But some causes will be harder.

It depends on what you mean, it can be something more important then yourself or it could be something you want for yourself. The New Testament actually has three words for love, I think that is better then one catch all expression that can be used different ways, sometimes in very different ways.

Well I think romantic love, as well as the love of friends and family, are all good for a happy life.

That passage is very well written. The idea would seem to be like building a wall with the virtues being bricks and the love being the mortar that holds it all together.

Yeah, there are some passages in the Bible which I still find to be inspiring.

eg: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free"

And some of the passages about love.

That's not unusual when it comes to ancient Greeks, if two people always agree it usually means that one of them isn't thinking. Greeks loved drama more then facts, they were and are, a very emotionally driven people. With those guys you just have to take it for what it's worth but they are great for pithy statements like that. I don't mean to be critical of them, I mean, they did lay the foundation for our sciences and mathematics. They just have a tendency toward hyperbole and generalization, it's not a problem if you appreciate where they are coming from.

Well I don't think you can stereotype all ancient Greek people... or all of their statements.

 

[mark kennedy]

I don't think everyone is Nelson Mandela. eg: You people who support gay rights aren't in prison, but the are doing a good thing. But some causes will be harder.

Like I said, not always but too often.

Well I think romantic love, as well as the love of friends and family, are all good for a happy life.

Of course, I don't disagree with that.

Yeah, there are some passages in the Bible which I still find to be inspiring.

eg: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free"

I love that passage to, if memory serves that was the passage Jesus read in Nazareth when he first announced that he was the Messiah.

And some of the passages about love.

I Corinthians 13 comes to mind...

Well I don't think you can stereotype all ancient Greek people... or all of their statements.

I wasn't trying to stereotype them, it's just something I have noticed.

 

[Noxot]

What is the happy life? This should be reduced to a single word if possible but any serious answer is usually adequate. The second part is based on the first answer, how then ought men to life.

God.

in the eternal. the beautiful living chaos of infinite love. everlasting joy. ultimate love. true reality. loving freedom. in the Spirit. in the anarchy of the kingdom of God.

 

[Tree of Life]

Meaning what? What sort of blessings are you talking about?


eudaimonia,

Mark

God's blessing in the biblical sense means his favorable presence with a person throughout their entire life. One blessed by God lives under the favor of God and in the presence of God. Friendship with God could be another way to say it, though the concept of blessing contains more.

Calvin taught that the blessing of God is the key to happiness. A man can lack worldly goods and comforts but if he has the blessing of God he will be happy. Likewise a man can have all worldly goods, all power and comfort but if he is not blessed by God he will be miserable.

 

[Paradoxum]

Like I said, not always but too often.

In big cases a leader might be killed, but in free country I'd think we are fairly free to protest for greater freedom and rights.

Of course, I don't disagree with that.

I love that passage to, if memory serves that was the passage Jesus read in Nazareth when he first announced that he was the Messiah.

I think he was giving a sermon in a temple in Jerusalem, quote the OT (Isaiah?)

I Corinthians 13 comes to mind...

I like that too... I'm not too evil an atheist.

I wasn't trying to stereotype them, it's just something I have noticed.

Maybe you are right, but I haven't noticed a stereotype.

 

[mark kennedy]

In big cases a leader might be killed, but in free country I'd think we are fairly free to protest for greater freedom and rights.

I dunno, maybe you have a point.

I think he was giving a sermon in a temple in Jerusalem, quote the OT (Isaiah?)

He was in the Synagogue and it was his turn to read from the scroll. At this point they have no idea he was royal lineage, let alone the Messiah. He reads that passage and tells them it has been fulfilled in their hearing. They were ready to kill him but he just walked away.

I like that too... I'm not too evil an atheist.

Oh I don't think that atheists are evil, just wrong about some things.

Maybe you are right, but I haven't noticed a stereotype.

They are famous for being really passionate about things. Socrates in Phaedrus had to ask his friend what he said during an oration because, he said, he was in an ecstasy. It's like Germans are famous for metal and math, it's not a stereotype, they really have some kind of natural inclination toward it.

 

[Eudaimonist]

God's blessing in the biblical sense means his favorable presence with a person throughout their entire life. One blessed by God lives under the favor of God and in the presence of God. Friendship with God could be another way to say it, though the concept of blessing contains more.

Calvin taught that the blessing of God is the key to happiness. A man can lack worldly goods and comforts but if he has the blessing of God he will be happy. Likewise a man can have all worldly goods, all power and comfort but if he is not blessed by God he will be miserable.

You haven't answered my question.

All you have done is to say that the blessings don't have to be "worldly goods and comforts". What sort of blessings do you mean? Telling me that someone is "favored" by God doesn't tell me anything.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[dysert]

I have had a lot of fun with this one, this is my first time doing this in a discussion forum so bear with me. The question is in two parts, What is the happy life? This should be reduced to a single word if possible but any serious answer is usually adequate. The second part is based on the first answer, how then ought men to life.

I have gotten some very interesting answers. A 15 year old girl once said that it was having the things you want, if you do you'll be happy. I thought that was a wonderful answer, I told her I hope she never loses that kind of honesty.

There is no right answer here, not really. This is just an interesting exercise. The best answer I've seen came from, not surprisingly, the ancient Greeks.

The exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope"​

Your thoughts...

Grace and peace,
Mark

Sadly, I honestly don't know. I suppose happiness is a warm fuzzy feeling that doesn't depend on circumstances or possessions, but it's been a very long time since I've had such feelings.

 

[Tree of Life]

You haven't answered my question.

All you have done is to say that the blessings don't have to be "worldly goods and comforts". What sort of blessings do you mean? Telling me that someone is "favored" by God doesn't tell me anything.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Blessing is God's favorable presence that causes man to be joyful in all circumstances. It is contingent on nothing else other than the favorable presence of God. I say "favorable" to distinguish it from cursing, which is God's wrathful presence.

We can also speak of "blessings" in terms of gifts that God gives to promote man's happiness by bringing him into a deeper awareness of God's favor and presence. But "blessing" plain and simple is a relationship, not a material object.

 

[Received]

God.

in the eternal. the beautiful living chaos of infinite love. everlasting joy. ultimate love. true reality. loving freedom. in the Spirit. in the anarchy of the kingdom of God.

What does that practically look like each moment? Those are all great abstractions, but they don't hedge out a way.

 

[mark kennedy]

Blessing is God's favorable presence that causes man to be joyful in all circumstances. It is contingent on nothing else other than the favorable presence of God. I say "favorable" to distinguish it from cursing, which is God's wrathful presence.

We can also speak of "blessings" in terms of gifts that God gives to promote man's happiness by bringing him into a deeper awareness of God's favor and presence. But "blessing" plain and simple is a relationship, not a material object.

That's why I was hoping someone would bring up the Beatitudes.

 

[PsychoSarah]

God.

in the eternal. the beautiful living chaos of infinite love. everlasting joy. ultimate love. true reality. loving freedom. in the Spirit. in the anarchy of the kingdom of God.

Where apparently all you do for all eternity is worship god in a forced happiness.

 

[dysert]

Where apparently all you do for all eternity is worship god in a forced happiness.

I suspect your view of eternity is quite different. Nevertheless, I'd take a forced happiness over an unforced unhappiness any day.