Epicurus Philosophy in the 21st Century
Introduction
Epicurus ‘ philosophy is an interdependent scheme, containing a conception of the purpose of human life that is happiness arises from the absence of mental disturbance and physical pain. An empiricist theory of awareness that is sensational, along with experience of pain and pleasure, is unfailing criteria. Many people are worried about how to be happy, yet most are not good at finding what will make the excited (“Epicurus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy),” 2020). Epicurus understood that the things that make us happy always vary a little from the ones that we try on a daily basis. This philosophy emphasizes that we all wanted to get satisfied with all what we’ve got but aspire for things we never can get. Overindulging is enjoyable but too much luxury would cause us individuals to look into normal circumstances in despair. This reduces the long term happiness that we have. There are many different kinds of pains and pleasures that is static and moving. This paper aims at examining whether Epicurus’ philosophy is significant to consumerism, expenditure and buyer behavior (“Epicurus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)”,2020).
Consumer-Driven Society that Shops for Happiness
Quartz (2020) asserts that consumerism is widely condemned as a toxin that thwarts true happiness, erodes social connections, and affects political participation. Consumer theorists believe that our consumption is driven by motives such as hunger and envy. Wealthier people in some countries are happier than the poorer, while in other states it is vice versa. The idea was that happiness relied on how we gain and own against the proverbial social equals on relative income. Hence increasing revenue and consumption reduced the level of joy while shopping (Quartz, 2020). Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Need for Ethics in Buying
Definite purchase is favoring ethical goods, whether they are organic, fair trade, or free of cruelty. This alternative is arguably the most significant since it supports progressive businesses directly (Quartz, 2020). Negative buying means avoiding products that we disagree with. We need ethics in buying so that we may reduce and eradicate wasteful patterns of production and consumption to attain higher standards and quality of life and sustainable development for all.
People need to be Thrifty
To be thrifty means to be conscious of one’s spending pattern and habits. Being lifelong financially responsible will result in less concern and less stress. It is an excellent way to save money. Individuals should learn to dispose of items that are no longer in use through selling and making cheap purchases of used ones is a perfect approach to improve your financial wellness. In reality, being thrifty can offer more than just pecuniary satisfaction. This often includes getting the best value at a low cost and investing less on the non-essential.
Spending Leads to Financial Distress
We cannot grow and get through financial distress through spending. For an individual to be less stressed, it is essential to reduce unnecessary costs through generation of the scale of preference. This is significant in setting financial goals that will lead to financial stability. Hence to eradicate crises and to meet financial obligations, spending should be controlled.
Ethical Implication of Thrift
Thrift approach should be embraced with the current employment and unemployment status in the U.S economy. It can result in a favorable ethical implication within the state. Individuals become resourceful since there is maximum utilization of resources and less redundancy. It will lead to independence and result in a sense of responsibility among people. Reduction in spending leads to a higher art of discipline (Quartz, 2020). More time is saved since there is less stress and concern on financial obligations; individuals can focus on other investments. Meeting emergencies is never a serious problem due to the saving culture.
Consequentialism and Virtue Ethics in Support of Thrift
Consequentialism is an ethical theory that determines whether something is right or not by the consequences. Most people agree that lying is not correct. If telling a lie would result in saving a life, then it is the right thing to do. Utilitarianism measures the effects of the greatest good to the greatest number. On the other hand, hedonism says something is perfect when the outcome generates satisfaction or escapes pain. This relates to thrift since individuals can spend in the right manner hence gaining positive financial results.
Virtue Ethics is an approach that states the character of a person as the key element of ethical reasoning, rather than rules over the actions themselves or their implications. Eudaimonism holds that human life’s proper objective is what can be translated into happiness. Agent-Based Theories gives an account of the virtue-based on common-sense intuitions about admirable character traits that we can recognize by looking at the people we admire. Under thrift, the individual is forecast, rational, and goal-oriented despite other’s perceptions, be it negative or positive.
Conclusion
Epicurus philosophy should be embraced in the modern world. The absence of fears and associated impulses would lead individuals to pursue the pleasure both mental and physical, to which they are naturally drawn, and to enjoy the peace of mind arising from their regularly anticipated and attained fulfillment. The principal of happiness from the philosophy has a significant impact on the market forces, purchasing power, and expenditure in the 21st Century. Its implementation will lead to maximum consumer satisfaction and sovereignty through the eradication of counterfeit products and give rise to informed buyer behavior. This will lead to a surge of thrift culture hence rise to an economy based state.
References
The happiness contradiction: Essential ways to find value in life from Epicurus. Big Think. (2020). Retrieved 11 March 2020, from https://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/how-to-be-happylessons-from-epicurus.
(“The happiness contradiction: Essential ways to find value in life from Epicurus”, 2020)
Epicurus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Plato.stanford.edu. (2020). Retrieved 11 March 2020, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epicurus/.
Quartz, S. (2020). Why buying things makes you happy. PBS News Hour. Retrieved 11 March 2020, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/consumerism-make-us-happy-surprising-answers-looking-inside-consumers-brain