The Stoic and the Epicurean Philosophies

Which lifestyle, Epicurean or Stoic, achieves the greatest amount of happiness? In his book Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics, Classicist R.W. Sharples sets out to answer this question. He  introduces readers to the fundamental ways in which happiness is created within the two philosophical perspectives, by juxtaposing the schools of thought to highlight criticisms and commonality between the two. He describes the characteristics deemed necessary to achieve happiness from each perspective, concluding that both Epicureanism and Stoicism agree with the Aristotelian belief that the sort of person one is and the lifestyle one adopts will indeed have an immediate bearing on the actions one performs. The Epicurean Road to Happiness Sharples suggests that Epicureans embrace Aristotles conception of self-love because the goal of Epicureanism is defined as  pleasure achieved through the removal of physical pain and mental anxiety. The Epicureans foundation of belief rests within three categories of desires, including  the natural and necessary,  the natural but not necessary, and  the unnatural desires. Those who follow an Epicurean worldview eliminate all non-natural desires, such as ambition to attain political power or fame because both of these desires foster anxiety. Epicureans rely on the desires that free the body from pain by providing shelter and abolishing hunger through the supply of food and water, noting that simple foods provide the same pleasure as luxurious meals because the goal of eating is to gain nourishment. Fundamentally, Epicureans believe people value the natural delights derived from sex, companionship, acceptance, and love. In practicing frugality, Epicureans possess an  awarene ss of their desires and have the capability to appreciate occasional luxuries to the fullest. Epicureans argue that  the path to securing happiness comes by withdrawing from public life and residing with close, like-minded friends. Sharples cites Plutarchs criticism of Epicureanism, which suggests that achieving happiness through withdrawal from public life neglects the desire of the human spirit to help mankind, embrace religion, and take on leadership roles and responsibility. The Stoics on Achieving Happiness Unlike the Epicureans who hold pleasure paramount,  the Stoics grant the highest importance to self-preservation, by believing that virtue and wisdom are the necessary abilities to achieve satisfaction. Stoics believe reason leads us to pursue specific things while avoiding others, in accordance with what will serve us well in the future. The Stoics declare the necessity of four beliefs in order to achieve happiness, placing the utmost importance on virtue derived from reason alone. Wealth obtained during ones lifetime utilized to perform virtuous actions and the fitness level of ones body, which determines ones natural ability to reason, both represent core beliefs of the Stoics. Lastly, regardless of the consequences, one must always perform his/her virtuous duties. By exhibiting self-control, the Stoic follower lives according to the virtues of wisdom, bravery, justice, and moderation. In contradiction to the Stoic perspective, Sharples notes Aristotles argument that virtue alon e will not create the happiest possible life, and is achieved only through the combination of virtue and external goods. Aristotles Blended View of Happiness Whereas the Stoics conception of fulfillment resides solely in virtues ability to provide contentment, the Epicurean notion of happiness is rooted in the obtainment of external goods, which vanquish hunger and bring the satisfaction of food, shelter, and companionship. By providing detailed descriptions of both Epicureanism and Stoicism, Sharples leaves the reader to conclude that the most comprehensive conception of attaining happiness combines both schools of thought; thereby, representing Aristotles belief that  happiness is obtained through a combination of virtue and external goods. Sources Stoics, Epicureans (The Hellenistic Ethics)D. Sedley and A. Longs, The Hellenistic Philosophers, Vol. I (Cambridge, 1987)J. Annas-J. Barnes, The Modes of Scepticism, Cambridge, 1985L. Groacke, Greek Scepticism, McGill Queens Univ. Press, 1990R. J. Hankinson, The Sceptics, Routledge, 1998B. Inwood, Hellenistic Philosophers, Hackett, 1988 [CYA]B.Mates, The Sceptic Way, Oxford, 1996R. Sharples, Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics, Routledge, 1998 (How can I be happy?, 82-116) [CYA]

Differences between the Chesapeake Bay and New England...

Differences between the Chesapeake Bay and New England ColoniesThere are many key differences that distinguish the inhabitants of the New England colonies from those of the Chesapeake Bay colonies. These dissimilarities include but are not limited to the differences between the social structure, family life, forms of government, religion, and the lives of indentured servants and children in the two colonies. The social structure and family life of the two colonies varied greatly. The inhabitants of the Chesapeake Bay colonies were never able to establish a successful social structure or sense of family life due primarily to the nature of its inhabitants. According to the essay Looking Out for Number One: Conflicting Cultural Values in†¦show more content†¦Some what different from this was the government that was present in the New England colonies. As with many other aspects of life, the Puritans government was based on family. According to the essay The Godly Family of Colonial Massachusetts, The household—not the individual was the fundamental unit of society. The political order was not an agglomeration of detached individuals; it was an organic unity composed of families. (The Way We Lived 43). Since the political decisions were based on families instead of the individuals themselves, each Puritan household received only one vote on issues that were presented. As was customary in the time, the father would represent the head of the household at the polls. If the husband was not able to go to the polls then it would be handed down to the wife and she would represent the family at the poles. Another major difference between the Chesapeake Bay colonies and the New England colonies was religion. The street toughs and roughnecks who settled in the Chesapeake Bay colonies were not very churchly people although occasionally someone would comment on the need for churches and more importantly schools. Although it was commented upon, the large distances between plantations would have made it nearly impossible to build a church that was close enough to be used by everyone. The quote, Church buildings were in perpetual state of decay; ministers were poorly supported by there parishioners (The Way We Lived 27), shows justShow MoreRelatedChesapeake Bay and New England Dbq Essay673 Words   |  3 PagesThe immigrants that settled the colonies of Chesapeake Bay and New England came to the New World for two different reasons. These differences were noticeable in social structure, economic outlook, and religious background. As the colonies were organized the differences were becoming more and more obvious and affected the way the communities prospered. These differences are evident from both written documents from the colonists and the historical knowledge of this particular period in time. AlthoughRead MoreThe New World1640 Words   |  7 PagesAfter settlement of â€Å"The New World† by the English in the early 17th century, there was a surge of Englishmen hoping to strike rich, escape the religious government of England, or start a new life with their family. Specific reasons for leaving England had its respective colonies to travel to. For this reason, the northern New England colonies and the southern colonies like Virginia and Maryland in the Chesapeake bay area started to establish ways of life that began to develop very different lifestylesRead MoreThe New England And Chesapeake935 Words   |  4 PagesIn the 1600s, America began colonization. Each colony had a specific goal or aspiration that it planned to achieve. These colonies were separated into different regions among America. Two specific regions that many historians tend to articulate about. Consisting of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, the New England region presen ts many intriguing ways of achieving their goals. Likewise, the Chesapeake Bay, which contain Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and part of SouthRead MoreThe New England And Chesapeake Colonies1471 Words   |  6 Pageswas the formation of the thirteen colonies along the North American east coast. These colonies are generally divided into New England, Middle and South or the Chesapeake regions. Most of these colonies were settled by the British, yet they developed differently as the years went by. Some developed into more egalitarian colonies and some not. The greatest differences could be seen in the New England and Chesapeake regions. Even though the New England and Chesapeake regions were settled originally byRead MoreEssay Chesapeake Vs. New England Colonies763 Words   |  4 Pagesdiversity being sown in the early days of colonization when the Chesapeake and New England colonies grew into distinctive societies. Even though both regions were primarily English, they had simil arities as well as striking differences. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to geography, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay area, was not interested in long-term colonization in AmericaRead MoreThe Chesapeake Colonies and New England Colonies Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesSpain, Portugal, Holland, and England, all competed for colonization in unknown territories. Samuel de Champlain colonized along the St. Lawrence River in 1608, Henry Hudson of Holland established Albany in 1609, and Spain established colonies in Mexico and Mesoamerica. In 1607, England established its first colony in North America around the Chesapeake Bay, and nearly a decade later established a second colony in present-day New England. Both New England and the Chesapeake were founded by the BritishRead More1993 Apush Dbq1277 Words   |  6 Pageshundreds was a time for people’s imaginations able to soar free in their heads and see the â€Å"New World† for all its infinite possibilities. There were many reasons for people to look for refuge or wealth in the newly di scovered world. Some wanted to escape from harsh laws and strict religions of the European government, and others went for glory and money. When the new colonies like Jamestown was formed, so was two new societies. Both areas were settled for different reasons. The different reasons led toRead MoreCompare And Contrast The Chesapeake And New England Colonies1071 Words   |  5 Pagesthe New World, the English also started to establish colonies and settle in the New World. To encourage the colonization of the New World, England offered charters to Joint-Stock Companies and individuals to set up colonies in the New World. Although the Chesapeake and New England settlers both migrated from England, the two regions of the New World developed into distinctly different societies due to different economic reasons, types of people, and political organization. Both of the colonies hadRead MoreThe New England Of North America960 Words   |  4 Pagestraveled from England, coming from the same ethnicity, what they were seeking varied greatly; their economic, political, religious and social differences were drastically different. Those who migrated here had specific motives which led to different economies. The New England Settlers were in search of religious freedom whereas the Virginians were in search of profit. New England was founded for religious purposes. (Doc. A) The Puritans were seeking religious freedom from England. Puritans believedRead MoreThe United States1676 Words   |  7 Pagesthe London Company, in 1606, but it progressed from that rough start to become the first permanent English colony in North America, located in Jamestown. New additions soon came to what would be the United States: Plymouth in 1620; eastern Massachusetts in 1630; and finally Maryland in 1632. The first two colonized regions of North America by the British, the Chesapeake Bay and New England, faced early difficulties, had relatively unsuccessful economies as well as commonly plagued relationships with

3 Idiots free essay sample

Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan), Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi), and Rancchoddas Rancho Shyamaldas Chanchad (Aamir Khan) are students at the Imperial College of Engineering, one of the best colleges in India. They are room-mates in the colleges hostel. While Farhan and Raju are average students from modest backgrounds, Rancho is from a rich family. Farhan wants to become a wildlife photographer, but is pursuing an engineering degree to fulfil his fathers wish. Raju, on the other hand, needs to improve his familys financial situation. Rancho is a wealthy genius who studies for the sheer Joy of it. His passion is for knowledge and taking apart and building machines rather than the conventional obsession of the other students with exam ranks. With his different approach Rancho incurs the wrath of colleges dean, Professor Viru Sahastrabudhhe aka ViruS (Boman Irani). Rancho irritates his lecturers by giving creative and unorthodox answers, and confronts ViruS after fellow student Joy Lobo hangs himself in his dormitory room. We will write a custom essay sample on 3 Idiots or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rancho denounces the rat race, dog- eat-dog, mindless rote learning mentality of the institution, blaming it for Lobos death. Threatened by Ranchos talent and free spirit, ViruS labels him an idiot and ttempts, on a number of occasions, to destroy his friendship with Farhan and Raju, warning them and their parents to steer clear of Rancho. ViruSs model student is Chatur Ramalingam or Silencer, (Omi Vaidya) who sees a high rank at a prestigious college as his ticket to higher social status, corporate power, and wealth. Chatur conforms to the expectations of the system. Rancho humiliates Chatur, who is awarded the honor of making a speech at an award ceremony, by substituting obscenities into the text, which has been translated into Hindi by the librarian. As xpected, Chatur mindlessly memorises the speech, without noticing that anything is amiss, partly aided by his lack of knowledge on Hindi. His speech becomes the laughing stock of the audience, infuriating the authorities in the process. Meanwhile, Rancho falls in love with ViruSs medical student daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor) when he, Raju and Farhan crash her sisters wedding banquet in order to get a free meal, in the process infuriating ViruS. The three students continue to anger ViruS, although Rancho keeps coming first in every exam, while Chatur is always second, and Farhan and Raju are inevitably in the ast two positions. The tensions come to a head when the three friends, who are drunk, break into ViruSs house at night so Rancho can propose to Pta, and then urinate on a door inside the compound before running away when ViruS senses intruders. The next day, ViruS threatens to expel Raju lest he rat out Rancho. Unable to choose between betraying his friend and letting his family down, Raju Jumps out of the 3rd floor window and lands in the courtyard. After extensive care from Pia and his friends, he awakes from a coma. The experience nas changed Farhan and Raju, and they adopt Ranchos outlook. Farhan decides to pursue his love of photography, while Raju takes an unexpected approach for a corporate Job interview. He gives a series of non-conformal and frank answers. However, Virus is unsympathetic and vows to make the final exam as hard as possible so that Raju is unable to graduate. Pia hears him and angrily confronts him, and when ViruS gives the same ruthless reply he gives to his students, Pia reveals that Virus son, her brother, was not killed in an accident but committed suicide in front of a train and left a letter because ViruS had forced him to pursue a areer in engineering over his love for literature; ViruS always mentioned that he unsympathetically failed his son on the ICE entrance exams over and over to every new intake of ICE students. After this, Pia walks out on the family, and takes ViruS spare keys with her. She tells Rancho of the exam, and he and Farhan break into ViruSs office and steal the questions and give it to Raju who, with his new-found attitude, is unconcerned with the prospect of failing, and refuses to cheat. However, Virus catches the trio and expels them on the spot. However, they earn a reprieve hen Virus pregnant elder daughter Mona (Mona Singh) goes into labour at the same time. A heavy storm cuts all power and traffic, and Pia is still in self-imposed exile, so she instructs Rancho to deliver the baby in the college common room via Voice over P, after Rancho restores power using car batteries and a power inverter that Rancho had made up and ViruS had mocked. He then delivers the baby with the help of a cobbled-together Vacuum extractor. After the baby is apparently stillborn, Rancho resuscitates it. ViruS reconciles with Rancho and his friends and allows them to take their final exams and they graduate. Rancho comes first and is awarded ViruSs pen, which the professor had been keeping for decades before finding a brilliant enough student to gift it to. Their story is framed as intermittent flashbacks from the present day, ten years after Chatur vowed revenge on Rancho for embarrassing him with the speech and promised to become more successful than Rancho a decade later. Having lost contact with Rancho, who disappeared during the graduation party, Raju and Farhan begin a journey to find him. They are Joined by Chatur, now a wealthy and successful businessman, who is confident that he has surpassed Rancho. Chatur is also looking to seal a deal with a famous scientist and prospective business associate named Phunsukh Wangdu. Chatur sees Wangdu, who has hundreds of patents, as his ticket to further social prestige. When they find Ranchos house, they walk into his fathers funeral, and find a completely different Rancho Oaaved Jaffrey). After accusing the new man of stealing their friends identity, the host pulls a gun on them, but Farhan and Raju turn the tables by seizing his fathers ashes and threatening to flush them down a toilet. The householder capitulates and says that their friend was an orphan ervant boy who loved learning, while he, the real Rancho, was a lazy wealthy child who disliked study, so the family agreed to let the servant study in Ranchos place instead of labouring. In return, the real Rancho would pocket the qualifications and the benefits thereof, while the impersonator would sever all contact with his college- mates and start a new life. The real Rancho reveals that their friend is now a schoolteacher in Raju and Farhan then find Pta, and take her from her wedding to Suhas, by performing the same tricks with his material possessions, and having Raju turn up to he ceremony disguised as the groom and eloping with Pia in public. When they arrive in Ladakh, they see a group of enthusiastic children who are motivated by love of knowledge. Pia and the fake Rancho rekindle their love, while Chatur mocks and mocks him, the schoolteacher, before walking away. When his friends ask what his real name is, he reveals it is Phunsukh Wangdu. They phone Chatur, who has turned his back, to turn around and meet his prospective business partner. Chatur is horrified and falls to his knees, accepts his defeat and continues to plead his case with Phunsukh to establish the business relationship he was after.

Is Ritalin The Answer To Ad (H) D Essays - Methylphenidate

Is Ritalin The Answer To Ad (H) D? Is Ritalin the Answer to AD (H) D? The tousled brown hair that weaves so mischievously around his head may hint at the way he feels inside. He is seven-years-old and has already had to repeat a grade. He has an imagination that puts others to shame, but nothing seems to hold his attention for more than five minutes. He was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or what we call AD (H) D. This scene is all too familiar for individuals who discover that they, too, have this learning disorder as they progress from elementary school to college. In today's society we want a quick fix to remedy our problems. Therefore doctors are prescribing the drug, Ritalin, to control AD (H) D. Although Ritalin is a widely used drug to control AD (H) D, there are other safer alternatives to combat this worldwide disorder. Ritalin, like many other drugs, has several side effects-some of which are severe. Ritalin is in a class of drugs called Methylphetamines. These types of drugs (also called Central Nervous System or CNS stimulants) affect our central nervous system that controls everything from thought process to everyday breathing. Ritalin's major side effects influences the cardiovascular system (palpitation, tachycardia, and increased blood pressure), the central nervous system (psychosis, dizziness, headache, insomnia, tic syndromes, attacks of Gilles de la Tourette), gastrointestinal (anorexia, nausea), endocrine/metabolic system (weight loss, growth suppression). (What You Need To Know About Ritalin 1999) Also, Ritalin is a fairly new drug (introduced in the early eighties). It hasn't been around long enough to study the long-term effects. Since Ritalin is a Methylphetamine (closely related to the amphetamine family, such as cocaine), it has a high rate of abuse. In light of methylphenidate's abuse liability, it is important to note the tremendous increase in availability of this substance and the expanded population (adolescents and adults) receiving prescriptions for the treatment of AD (H) D. For example, the production quota for methylphenidate has increased from 1,361 kg in 1985 to 10,410 kg in 1995 with the primary increases occurring in the last five years. (Ritalin 1996) This drug is abused in two ways. One way is for recreational purposes. The abusers use the drug as a form of speed to pick themselves up. They feel that they need this in order to be alive and full of life. The other way this drug is abused is very different. Students are using Ritalin as a study aid. They take a pill (either orally, or by crushing it and snorting-much like cocaine, or they emulsify it in water and inject it like heroin) and cr am for an exam. College today has become more competitive. Students feel a need to have an edge over the others. They feel that Ritalin gives them this edge. Another danger is that since Ritalin is related to amphetamines, it has almost the same physiological effects. A users body will build a tolerance to the stimulant, therefore requiring more drugs to sustain the same level of abuse. This is very dangerous since the side effects on a normal dose are already dangerous; it has the potential for addiction and overdose. (Ritalin Nation 1997) Although there are many harmful side effects and social problems related to Ritalin, many advocates claim that Ritalin is a vital part of controlling AD (H) D. And in most cases Ritalin has shown proven results. It does exactly what it was designed to do. The treatment of the disorder in adolescents and adults both show positive results. But before being put on such a harmful drug, parents and students should try using other alternatives before using Ritalin. Most doctors can't accurately diagnose AD (H) D in a 20-30 minute visit. There are usually other factors that have to be considered but are often overlooked. There are ways a patient diagnosed with AD (H) D can overcome this disorder. Rather than taking Ritalin, a change in diet can have a big impact on ones attention. Stress levels, like diet, can cause loss of attention, making it hard to concentrate. A change in study habits can also be very beneficial to someone having a difficult time concentrating. So by