What are your own reflections on the meaning of life?
The Meaning of Life
Epicurus believed that the key to a meaningful life was to live simply and wisely. He thought that pleasure was the first and highest of goods, but that a pleasurable life did not entail over-indulgence. In order to live well, one had to moderate their appetites and avoid unnecessary suffering. One should cultivate a healthy way of life. Part of this healthy lifestyle involved not fearing death. We should not fear death, Epicurus says in his ‘Letter to Menoeceus,’ because once we’re dead we no longer exist, and since we don’t exist there is nothing that can affect us. Once we come to terms with this fact, we can focus our attention on living properly by pursuing moderate pleasures and avoiding pain and suffering.
Tolstoy ultimately found the epicurean way of life less meaningful. In My Confessions, he explains that once he’d achieved fame as a novelist, and established a happy family life, he started to ask questions about the point and meaning of life, questions that disturbed him profoundly. Death haunted his life. What was the point of living when the ‘dragon of death’ awaited him? All the pleasures that life offered brought no relief from this inevitable confrontation with death. After searching for answers, Tolstoy came to the conclusion that life could only be meaningful through faith and religious belief.
Here are some questions to consider:
What were your reactions to Epicurus’ letter and Tolstoy’s reflections on the meaningfulness of faith? How might Epicurus respond to Tolstoy?
What are your own reflections on the meaning of life? Did you feel that there were other elements not addressed by Epicurus or Tolstoy?
Do you think that people can agree on what makes a life meaningful or is it more of a subjective matter?
