Philosophy is the pursuit of human awareness and knowledge for the purposes of being happy and content. Early philosophers such as Descartes and Plato used their works to present their thoughts on life and other social issues such as justice. In this paper we will analyze Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes and The Republic by Plato before comparing the two philosophers’ ideas on the good life.
Descartes has made a significant contribution to ethics. Some critics have faulted his philosophies for focusing exclusively on epistemology and metaphysics with little on moral philosophy and politics. Much of this criticism is based on a general understanding of Descartes’ works. A closer look at his work reveals an underlying concern for the attainment of wisdom and its contribution to happiness. The details of this thought can be found in some of his letters to Princess Elisabeth.
In The Meditation on First Philosophy, Descartes spreads a shadow of doubt on all his believes because he is convinced that it is human nature to believe that which is false. He states that what he believes is reinforced by the belief that his sense can be deceived easily (Descartes & Donald 38). He uses the example of a basket filled with apples. If one fears that the basket has some bad apples which could spoil the good ones, it is only wise to remove all the apples from the basket. After emptying the basket, one can now examine each apple and replace the good ones to the basket while discarding the rotten ones. This analogy applies for human thoughts. Descartes recommends that individuals should examine all their thought before accepting the good ones and discarding the bad ones.
Descartes acknowledges that there are some beliefs that are part of us and difficult to discard. Such deeply rooted beliefs are difficult to throw away because they prevent us from having a wider view of issues. We cannot accept, reject or justify other beliefs because we are attached to what we believe. To this, Descartes prescribes doubt for all beliefs based on a sense of perception. He claims that even life could be a dream and not a reality as we would all like to believe (Descartes & Donald 44).
This sense of doubt is extended further to the existence of things. Descartes questions the physical form and the reality of existence including his own body. He claims the existence of everything is in doubt until it can be proven rationally. In this case, he can prove his existence because to doubt his presence, he would need to be in existence in the first place. Additionally, he would need to exist in order to be deceived.
The first step to happiness is gaining knowledge of the things around us. According to Descartes, once we have a good understanding of ourselves and the things that are good or bad for us, we are able to find happiness (Descartes & Donald 57). Using the analogy of melting wax, Descartes explains how as the wax changes form, we use understanding rather than our sense of perception to know that it is still wax. In the same way, we understand all situations as part of life, despite all the changes it goes through.
Descartes also introduces the concept of the existence of an infinite God. Descartes argues that God exists because as human beings, we have an idea of His presence. Secondly, he argues that the only way we can have an idea of God’s existence is because he exists. This argument does not give much in the way of proof, but it helps to understand the importance of the source of knowledge. Descartes claims that we it is impossible to know the infinite in the finite (Descartes & Donald 86).
Plato is considered an idealist than Descartes who was a realist. Plato believed that an individual gains knowledge of an object by understanding the idea behind the object, rather than the object itself (Simon & Schuster 6). The Republic seeks to give meaning to justice and the concept of just action by men. It also tries to set out the ways within which men can achieve well-being for all. In an ideal state, justice would be upheld through policies which would secure the happiness of all citizens.
Plato uses education, the arts and philosophies of metaphysics to understand how the good life can come about. Socrates is the main character in Plato’s The Republic; he holds dialogue with different characters such as Adeimantus, Cephalus, Glaucon and Thrasymachus. Socrates uses the image of the cave and the divided line to describe how individuals gain knowledge (Simon & Schuster 193).
In the allegory of the cave, Socrates describes prisoner in a cave who are unable to turn their heads. They can only see the wall that is before them and not the fire that is burning behind them. Since the prisoners cannot turn their heads, all they can perceive are the echoes and the shadows behind them (Simon & Schuster 284). In this scenario, the prisoners would be aware of the shadows formed by the light from the fire but not know the source of the light. The shadow will be the only reality they know because they have not seen the object causing the shadows.
This analogy demonstrates how human beings being meanings to things that they can grasp mentally. This understanding is not always accurate. When the prisoners were given a chance to see the fire, they saw the error in their thinking. In the analogy, the prisoners ascended upward in the cave and gained a better view of the fire. This can is seen as a higher level of intellectual understanding of reality (Simon & Schuster 286).
Both Descartes and Plato believe that knowledge is the foundation of good. Both of them advocate for knowledge, self-awareness and wisdom as prerequisites for happiness. According to both philosophers, the good life only begins when we are able to distinguish illusions from reality. According to Descartes, humans can distinguish the good from the bad; they can always pick the good and remain happy. Concurrently, Plato believes that full awareness of objects and ideas can be used to justify happiness.
Both thinkers agree that knowledge must be certain for it to contribute to meaningful happiness. Once knowledge has been ascertained, it is imperative that all other ideas are disqualified as false. However, the two disagree on the source of knowledge. Plato believes that knowledge can be derived from a set of agreeable principles while Descartes argues that knowledge comes from the self. Plato and Descartes also agree that God is the source of happiness because He is the source of knowledge.
Plato differs from Descartes in his structural view of happiness. Plato presents the ideal state in which citizens can get justice and happiness. The ideal state represents a model of happiness and the good life which can be replicated anywhere across the world. On the other hand, Descartes presents an individual who is seeking personal happiness by questioning the existence of everything around them, including themselves. However, in the end, both philosophers prescribe goodness or godliness as a means of achieving the good life.
Work Cited
Descartes, René, and Donald A. Cress. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. Indianapolis [u.a.: Hackett Publ, 1998. Print.
Plato, Benjamin Jowett, and J D. Kaplan. Dialogues of Plato. New York: Washington Square Press, 1980. Print.
