The "Good Life," located out of place

Both the Stoics and the Epicureans came to believe there was no way they could figure everything out, understand how it all works, or what it means. Both agreed that wisdom lay in backing off from the heavy issues and making the best you can of your brief years. The Stoic said, "You can’t understand Reality, and you can’t change it, so get real, accept and adjust to the way things are. Stop getting excited, and stop being gloomy. Quell your emotions and live by calm Reason." Epicurus took an approach similar to the biblical Ecclesiastes. Since we can’t figure it all out, enjoy it while you can. Live for personal pleasure. Christians understand the Bible to be revealed by God, not thought out by some human mind. Divine revelation and philosophy are opposites: one comes from God’s will, the other from the human mind. Ecclesiastes is the only book of philosophy in the Bible"I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven." (1:13) "I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after the wind." He sets out to figure things out for himself and realizes he can’t. At that point he became a philosopher. "I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, ‘I know,’ he cannot discover." (8:17) "So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat, and to drink and be merry." (8:15; See also 2:24, 3:12f., 5:18f., 9:7f.) The Epicurean idea of pleasure can be understood more clearly by contrasting it with the thought of Aristippus of Cyrene. He also taught the pursuit of pleasure, all you could get. Several decades ago, a beer commercial on television said, "Grab all the gusto you can get; you only go around once." If you enjoy liquor, really tie one on. Do you enjoy mountain climbing? Then go to the Himalayas or the Alps; climb Mt. Everest or the Matterhorn. Go for the greatest thrills. Aristippus’ name didn’t stick to his philosophy. Rather, this way of thought and life took on the name of the place of its origin, Cyrene. Those who hold to this view are called, "Cyrenaics." Ernest Hemingway was a representative Cyrenaic. He climbed the mountains, got roaring drunk, got into the bull ring in Spain and fought the bulls. Once, while taking a carload of friends to his country home at Ketchum, Idaho, a grizzly bear ambled out of the woods onto the dirt road. The bear stopped in front of the car, so the car had to stop. The bear reared up on its hind legs and growled ferociously. Hemingway got out of the car, walked up and got in the bear’s face, then proceeded to cuss him out for scaring all those people in the car. After a minute of such profanity, the bear dropped back on all-fours and retreated into the woods. These are all high-risk thrills, but to the Cyrenaic, they are worth it. Epicurus thought the Cyrenaics (who are still very much with us) stupid. Yes, those are high experiences, but don’t forget their downside. Many who challenge the great mountains fall to their death, or freeze. Yes, Epicurus said, the drunken party may be great fun, but the hangover next morning cancels the night’s pleasure. Get the exhilaration of the bull ring, but remember that sometimes the matador is carried from the ring on a stretcher. Not all grizzlies will turn and slink away. Epicurus believed the wiser hedonistic life was more moderate. It didn’t have the great highs, but it didn’t have the painful or fatal lows. His idea of the life of pleasure–the good life–was to sit at table in a quiet, lovely garden with a few friends, some cheese and a bottle of wine, and engage in weighty conversation. Both the Epicurean and the Stoic are egoistic hedonists. Later we will meet a couple of universal hedonists, but these early fellows advised that we just look out for number one. If you are a Christian, consider the possibility of a Christian hedonism. God created the world for his own good pleasure. It was God’s pleasure to bring salvation by way of Mt. Calvary. Whatever else heaven is, it is understood to be a place of pure pleasure with no admixture of pain, regret, or distress. The height of the Christian life is peace and joy. Love, as characterized in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, is the way to ultimate enjoyment. Love leads to peace and joy. Cyrenaic, Epicurean, and Christian hedonisms? Quantity of pleasure, quality of pleasure, and highest quality of pleasure. Think about it.