the Good Life

[tomarin]

What is a well-lived life? (In another thread Spock encouraged theists and non-theists to try harder to find common ground here, and suggested we ask any questions we like to start the conversation going, so this is my contribution to that.)

It’s a classic question but still worth pondering, I think.

 

[rciadan]

I would say, generally speaking, that a “well lived” life is one which is used for the benefit of one’s local circle of influence and, as a byproduct of such, for the betterment of humanity in general, with the goal of ongoing preparation for the next logical step, which is what may happen after physical death. In short, I guess I would point to Pascal’s wager as a prime example of a “well lived” life. It was profitable for him in this life and in the next, as well as for all those who knew him.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

tomarin

*What is a well-lived life? *

To know and love the Lord and each other.

It’s that simple.

 

[vz71]

*What is a well-lived life? *

A life that stands the scrutiny of the Almighty without sending us to hell.

Apologies though. I doubt this answer finds common ground with any that disbelieve God.

 

[Rocinante]

**

A life that stands the scrutiny of the Almighty without sending us to hell.

Apologies though. I doubt this answer finds common ground with any that disbelieve God.

i wouldn’t think that avoiding god’s wrath is the definition of the good life that most christians here would adhere to either.

 

[Rocinante]

tomarin

*What is a well-lived life? *

To know and love the Lord and each other.

It’s that simple.

since jesus said that the second commandment (love others) is the same as and how we actually do the first commandment (love god), we can indeed find much common ground between theists and non-theists on the good life.

 

[JDaniel]

since jesus said that the second commandment (love others) is the same as and how we actually do the first commandment (love god), we can indeed find much common ground between theists and non-theists on the good life.

A reading of Matthew, Chapter 25, would certainly indicate that you may well be right.

God Bless,
jd

 

[Charlemagne_II]

rocinante

*since jesus said that the second commandment (love others) is the same as and how we actually do the first commandment (love god), we can indeed find much common ground between theists and non-theists on the good life. *

That would be so if the non-theist is motivated to follow the second commandment. But why should he be motivated to follow it if he could be just as easily motivated not to follow it? In other words, there is nothing specific in atheism that promotes loving others, whereas there is everything specific in Christianity to motivate loving others. If a Christian fails to love others, he knows he has failed Christ. If an atheist fails to love others … so what?

 

[Rocinante]

rocinante

*since jesus said that the second commandment (love others) is the same as and how we actually do the first commandment (love god), we can indeed find much common ground between theists and non-theists on the good life. *

That would be so if the non-theist is motivated to follow the second commandment. But why should he be motivated to follow it if he could be just as easily motivated not to follow it? In other words, there is nothing specific in atheism that promotes loving others, whereas there is everything specific in Christianity to motivate loving others. If a Christian fails to love others, he knows he has failed Christ. If an atheist fails to love others … so what?

since this thread was directed toward finding common ground, i hope you’ll take your usual antipathy toward nonbelievers to a different thread.

 

[tonyrey]

A well-lived life follows Albert Schweitzer’s precept of reverence for all life which underlies the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. St Francis of Assisi had already put this into practice centuries before and regarded nature as the mirror of God. He called all creatures his brothers and sisters in stark contrast to the attitude of those who have polluted, disfigured and almost destroyed the prospects for future generations…

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Rocinante

*since this thread was directed toward finding common ground, i hope you’ll take your usual antipathy toward nonbelievers to a different thread. *

I do find common ground, but I was pointing out why many non-believers might not find common ground. Is that “usual antipathy” or merely fine tuning the issue?

Please don’t pretend you haven’t expressed “usual antipathy” toward theism at CA.

And just because you asked me to leave, I’m going to stay. It’s a Catholic Forum. Know your place and obey the rules.

 

[4Horsemen]

Theists and non-theists can come to the agreement that “the Good Life” is the honorable life, which prompts one to live in peace with one’s fellowmen. This requires integrity of the self. When human beings are persons of integrity, they see their “neighbor’s” struggle as their own. This idea doesn’t necessarily have to be a religious idea, although it is central to Christianity after the love of God. All of us, believers and non-believers should be able to experience empathy towards the “other” and act upon it.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

When human beings are persons of integrity, they see their “neighbor’s” struggle as their own. This idea doesn’t necessarily have to be a religious idea, although it is central to Christianity after the love of God. All of us, believers and non-believers should be able to experience empathy towards the “other” and act upon it.

One searches in vain among non-Christian philosophers to find any great emphasis on love as the core human value. Do you find it in Plato or Aristotle, Hume or Kant, Schopenhauer or Nietzsche, Sartre or Russell? One would think that if one could find it anywhere outside Christ, it would be found in the great thinkers.

Think again. At best, you find lip service to “good will among men” and a peace prize for Obama, who has waged war on the unborn.

 

[tomarin]

My answer is that a well-lived life is one that is lived according to rightly ordered priorities, foremost of which is obedience to and love for God. I think that once you put God first in your life these priorities fall into place: it’s important to love your country but not to idolize it; it’s important to enjoy the pleasures of life but not to let your pursuit of them devolve into mere hedonism, gluttony and aestheticism; it’s important to love and take care of your family but not to the point of living through them.

That came out more explicitly “religious” than I expected but the takeaway is that you have to have your priorities straight. Family is very important; as is your own health and well-being (a life of the mind is the most important for me, personally, though I also like to get regular exercize). Having gainful employment that gives you a productive activity to engage in is also important. But it would be easy for any of these things to get out of control if you made them your first priority, which it seems to me should be God.

 

[Rocinante]

All of us, believers and non-believers should be able to experience empathy towards the “other” and act upon it.

this is certainly true. such empathy seems to be very natural for humans and it has even been found among other mammals. that natural disposition to view the well-being of others as essential to ours is something we share.

 

[4Horsemen]

When human beings are persons of integrity, they see their “neighbor’s” struggle as their own. This idea doesn’t necessarily have to be a religious idea, although it is central to Christianity after the love of God. All of us, believers and non-believers should be able to experience empathy towards the “other” and act upon it.

One searches in vain among non-Christian philosophers to find any great emphasis on love as the core human value. Do you find it in Plato or Aristotle, Hume or Kant, Schopenhauer or Nietzsche, Sartre or Russell? One would think that if one could find it anywhere outside Christ, it would be found in the great thinkers.

Think again. At best, you find lip service to “good will among men” and a peace prize for Obama, who has waged war on the unborn.

The non-Christian philosophers didn’t emphasize the idea of love, yet they sought for the truth of the human condition. What fulfills us and perfects us? What is the human good? Even the pagan philosophers arrived at some truths about God based upon reason, the fact that the Natural Law is “written in the heart.” However, that knowledge is hard to come by to achieve complete understanding of truth. Therefore, God gave us the Decalogue in the OT and Jesus (Love Himself) in the New.

People can distort so easily the concept of ultimate end and the means to obtain it. Their idea of a loving act is more or less something that would also benefit themselves, not a pure act of love that is a giving of the self. Not to say that Christians are so perfect in their own acts (all have sinned).

As a country, we seem to have lost Wisdom. When we kill the innocent unborn and award prizes to people who have no conscience, we display our own depravity.

 

[4Horsemen]

this is certainly true. such empathy seems to be very natural for humans and it has even been found among other mammals. that natural disposition to view the well-being of others as essential to ours is something we share.

II agree that “the well-being of others is essential to ours,” but taking it further we could say the well-being of others is essential in and of itself and not dependent upon our own well-being.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

*but taking it further we could say the well-being of others is essential in and of itself and not dependent upon our own well-being. *

This is one of those truisms that you would be more likely to get from a Christian than from a great thinker outside the Christian fold.

 

[4Horsemen]

“but taking it further we could say the well-being of others is essential in and of itself and not dependent upon our own well-being.”

This is one of those truisms that you would be more likely to get from a Christian than from a great thinker outside the Christian fold.

It doesn’t fit into the non-theist philosophy.

No person is born an atheist. In fact, children have a natural (by nature) tendency to believe in exciting, awesome things like Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy and all those beloved creatures that open their worlds to something and someone beyond themselves and beyond the world in which they live. They readily believe in God and ask the “big questions” at an early age. It is only when the influence of a secularized society steals their sense of wonder that many become cynical, especially in the teen years. “The Good Life” is then forgotten or traded for a shabby one.