Epicurus on Life's Meaning

One of the big struggles in life is how to find ultimate meaning. You know, the sort of meaning that can make all that you do worthwhile. In fact, it's probably the big philosophical question: what’s the meaning of life? (queue the dramatic music)

That big question presses in on you sharply when you feel a lack of meaning in life. It’s easy to feel like a robot acting out a life that you don’t enjoy. As adults, we must do stuff that’s just not fun.

All the glitz of growing up wears off and we settle into a routine. Routines bring comfort and familiarity, but they also bring boredom. They rarely provide ultimate meaning.

I remember a time in my life when I was empty. I felt like a shell of a person. I was internally bankrupt. I sought meaning in worthless pursuits. I lived foolishly. I reaped the harvest of my foolish living in the bitter fruits of despair and hopelessness.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, know that you’re not alone. Also know that there’s a way out through self-reflection and soul-searching.

Philosophy can help in that process of clarifying meaning in life. It lays on the table a tasting menu of ideas that you can sample. Better understanding what you think life is all about directs your steps. It provides meaning to the mundane activities of life.

The first take on the meaning of life we'll explore comes from Epicurus (341-270 BC). He was a Greek philosopher that subscribed to a hedonistic philosophy. Hedonism is a theory of value that prizes the pursuit of pleasure as the ultimate goal of human life. Yet Epicurus didn't simply equate pleasure with good physical sensations. He had a nuanced view of pleasure.

Unfortunately, not a lot of his work survived. His letter to Menoeceus survived, and I’m going to break that down for you.

In this post, we’ll explore the start of his letter. Below is a quote from the start of Epicurus' Letter to Menoeceus. For more quotes like this, follow The Philosophical Life on Instagram.

Epicurus to Menoeceus

Epicurus knows human nature well. In the heat of youth we ask big questions. Life stands before us as a wide open landscape full of possibilities. As we age, life becomes a small, cluttered landscape. All we see are bills and responsibilities pilling up on the horizon. Asking questions like "what makes actions morally right?," or "what's the meaning of life?," seems like a waste of time when you just need to pay the bills. But there's a cost when this happens.

Such forgetfulness of big, ultimate issues contributes to what I talked about earlier. We transition out of youthful wonder. We move into a robotic maintaining of life. This happens, in part, because we lose our pursuit of wisdom. Wisdom means effectively navigating life toward goals we deem of ultimate value. Losing such a navigating force contributes to aimless drifting and internal emptiness.

This is why Epicurus reminds Menoeceus not to grow tired of seeking wisdom in old age. 

Likewise he encourages Menoeceus to pursue wisdom in youth. Lack of wisdom results in acting foolishly. In youth, we frequently settle for short term pleasures. The result is often long term pain. So, as Epicurus summarizes:

Wisdom provides youth with insight beyond years of experience, and wisdom moves the older person toward good things. Otherwise, in old age, the opposite occurs. Most of us have met people that are old and bitter. Wisdom helps prevent this. It also staves off fear of death, as we'll see in the next post on Epicurus' letter.

In the meantime, stay intellectual stimulated by philosophical ideas. Reflect on what you believe about such ideas, and bask in the richness of a greater sense of who you are and how you can positively impact the world. 

Keep living The Philosophical Life!