ERAU | Happiness Without Truth | World Philosophy | | Kusmierz, Michael B | 10/4/2013 |

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Knowing what is Real and what is True has been debated by philosophers since Socrates placed an emphasis on keeping an interest in Truth, and since Plato imagined the Theory of Forms. Many philosophers either concentrate their work in the field of Metaphysics or at least touch upon it in their works. They are trying to discover what the ultimate nature of Reality is as if it will make them a better being. Albert Camus said “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life” (Camus, The Stranger) and he is correct. Trying to learn or understand a formula to be happy is futile and trying to figure out the ultimate Truth and Reality of the world will only make you miserable. There are two ideologies that I blend together and align myself with; Epicureanism and the idea that the greatest pleasures cannot be achieved without some pain. People should be more concerned with achieving happiness through the experiences they have rather than trying to understand and cope with the harsh Realities and Truths of the world. Epicureanism follows the thoughts of Epicurus, who believed in a type of “ethical hedonism.” This idea of “ethical hedonism” means to pursue pleasure with the only conscious experience you have and to avoid pain, obey the laws, and be honest. The model life he wanted to live can be described through attaining a happy, tranquil life, achieved through peace, freedom from fear, the absence of pain, and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. (Borchert et al., Encyclopedia of Philosophy) You have to experience everything to the right degree. Everyone should know their own point of “enough.” Epicurus said, "Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." (Epicurus, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) This means to someone who does not know their limits, no degree of happiness is enough. One way to reach happiness that Epicurus taught was using a method of positive thinking. A life will be happy when you constantly utilize positive thinking. He believed that the ultimate goal was to achieve Ataraxia, or intellectual pleasure/accomplishment. Most of Epicurus’ teachings are correct with the exception of one. My goal is to live life as Epicurus would, a happy, tranquil life, achieved through peace and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. The only Epicurean beliefs that should be rejected are the statements about living free from fear and in the absence of pain. The experiences of fear and pain are valuable sensations that allow us to enjoy happiness to a much higher level. The idea that the greatest pleasures cannot be achieved without some pain is an idea that comes from personal experience. Pleasure with pain (in moderation) plays a huge role in my level of happiness. Using an example from my life, I worked a job through high school to be able to afford a car. My first car was a 1997 Saturn Wagon that I bought from my parents for $700. Fast forward to my junior year of college, I have been working multiple jobs during the school year and during the summers struggling to balance the academic, social, and working life. That pain (in moderation), combined with a healthy, challenging environment gave me an experience that I will cherish forever. That is the experience of working hard for a goal and achieving it. My reward was saving enough hard earned money to afford an Audi b5 A4. If I had been offered that car, I would have been happy. However, since I had to work for it, I appreciate it so much more. Those who have gone through pain should have a greater appreciation for the little things in life that can make us happy but otherwise might be taken for granted. In my story about the car, another positive reaction to the pain was the drive and motivation it gave me to strive for something better. Being subject to hard times and pain can, under the right circumstances, build a strong character which is something someone can be internally proud of and happy about.
Hedonism
Stoicism
Ethical Hedonism People should spend their days pursuing individual happiness through the experiences we have. Individual happiness to me is a type of inner peace where we can be happy with what we have done in the past, where we are in the present and where we are going in the future. The experiences we have throughout our lives determine our happiness and no one can tell us what makes us happy because it is all internal and different, to a degree, for every person. You discover what makes you happy as you move forward through your life experiences; you don’t plan them or try to calculate a way to a life of happiness. On the scale below the perfect balance for happiness in life should be neither a hedonist nor a stoic life. Being a little left of ethical hedonism (where the arrow points) is the proper place to be because it allows room for Plato’s Noble Lie which goes against the “honest” part of ethical hedonism. Plato’s Noble Lie is a concept that proposes making up a myth or a false truth in order to bring control, order and stability to the masses. The ultimate Truths and Realities of the world are disappointing and harsh. One great but miserable example of how the world operates requires a look at Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In short he describes a dark scene in a cave. A group of people have lived in a deep cave since birth, never seeing the light of day. These people are bound so that they cannot look to either side or behind them, but only straight ahead. Behind them is a fire, and behind the fire is a partial wall. On top of the wall are various statues, which are manipulated by another group of people, lying out of sight behind the partial wall. Because of the fire, the statues cast shadows across the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners watch the stories that these shadows play out, and because these shadows are all they ever get to see, they believe them to be the most real things in the world. When they talk to one another about “men,” “women,” “trees,” or “horses,” they are referring to these shadows. To Plato these prisoners represent the lowest stage. My argument is that we can be happy because we fully believe that what we are experiencing is true. And if those shadows are all we know, we shouldn’t burden ourselves with “freed” from these bonds, and forced to look at the fire and at the statues themselves. The confusion from the light exposure and the radical new findings can be too much to know or understand. What is the point in now knowing these statues as they really are things more real than the shadows if we can be totally happy in our dark cave? The worst part of all comes next. You as a former prisoner are dragged out of the cave completely and introduced to a whole new world beyond the truths of the fire, statues and manipulators. All of this experience is futile because when you return to the cave to tell the others of your findings they reject and ridicule you. There isn’t purpose to learning all of this only to be reduced to a lunatic by what is effectively society and your friends; friends which are a critical part of happiness according to Epicurus. There is nothing that should be valued higher than a happy, tranquil life surrounded by friends. That is a common end goal and the means to reaching it can be blurry and difficult to follow. There are so many different ideologies to be considered. I am only twenty years old and I am sure my view will bend and be remolded in the future but right now I feel that the path to the happiest life can be lived by seeking pleasure, obeying the laws of the government and society, and avoiding the ugly, naked Truths and Realities that the world holds.

Works Cited
Bochert, Donald M., and et al. "Epicurus Philosophical System." Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2006. 264-70. Print.
Camus, Albert, and Matthew Ward. The Stranger. New York: Vintage International, 1989. Print.
Christian, James L. Philosophy; An Introduction to the Art of Wondering. 11th ed. Boston: Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
Katz, Leonard D., "Pleasure", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) Web. 1 Oct. 2013