The Four Cardinal Pillars

Plato- The Greek philosopher defines a good life as “secured enjoyment of what
is good and beautiful”

The first cardinal value is temperance. For Aristotle, temperance is the middle
road between excess and deficiency. It is needed to exhibit restraint in one’s
actions and stay balanced.

The second cardinal value is fortitude, also known as courage and inner strength
in the face of adversity. It is only when one is courageous that they can resist
temptations and overcome difficulties.

The third cardinal value is prudence. Those who are happy are able to self-judge
and act in a moral way. They can be mindful, learn from their mistakes and strive
to be better.

The fourth and last cardinal value is justice, which Aristotle defines as the middle
road between being selfless and selfish. Like Plato, Aristotle claimed that while
one should pursue their own desires, it is important to help those around them to
flourish as well. A happy person will contribute to a better functioning and fairer
society.

knowledge (episteme) and thinking (dianoia) in man.

Democritus- “Happiness does not dwell in flocks of cattle or gold. Happiness, like
unhappiness, is a property of the soul. And it is right that men should value the
soul rather than the body; for the perfection of the soul corrects the inferiority of
the body, but physical strength without intelligence does nothing to improve the
mind. Men find happiness neither utilizing the body nor through possessions, but
uprightness and wisdom.” “Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in
gold, happiness dwells in the soul” This quote from Democritus is a wise
exhortation not to consider “stuff” as a value for happiness.

Socrates asserted that a good life is concerned with obtaining happiness, and
that happiness can be obtained through human effort (The Pursuit of Happiness,
n.d.).

Socrates states no one chooses evil; no one chooses to act in ignorance. We

seek the good, but fail to achieve it by ignorance or lack of knowledge as to how
to obtain what is good. He believes no one would intentionally harm themselves.

Socrates, who once observed that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” must
be regarded as one of the greatest teachers of ethics.

Socrates* believed that only people with self-knowledge could find true
happiness. According to Socrates:
● – Happiness flows not from physical or external conditions, such as bodily
pleasures or wealth and power, but from living a life that’s right for your
soul, your deepest good.
● – If you don’t know what’s good for your soul, then you’ll be misled into
pursuing happiness based on what’s conventional [money?] or easy
[escapism?]. This is a dead-end.
● – If you do know what’s good for your soul, then you’ll do it naturally, since
it’s the nature of good to be desired. This is the path to happiness.
In other words, Socrates believed that to be happy you need to know what’s good
for you.
Aristotle-

“The good life is a moral concept.” Aristotle's goal is to define the guidelines for
humans to follow in order to achieve happiness as a community. He asserted that
all human life is made up of activity. He also claimed that humans engage in these
activities to achieve a goal, and that this goal must be good or we will not
participate in the endeavor. He also claimed that living a virtuous life is the
ultimate goal of human existence, so a good life is one of excellence.

Lao Tzu

paved a road map to a happy life in his writings in the Tao Te Ching. According to
him, the pathway to good life is emptiness and being still. “To the mind that is
still, the whole universe surrenders.” We need to let go of our schedules, worries
and complex thoughts for a while and simply experience the world. “The
usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness. Empty yourself of everything, let
your mind become still.”

Thomas Aquinas asserted that true knowledge can only be found in knowledge of
God. In his view, happiness and enjoyment are two different matters. Enjoyment
comes from worldly goods and physical pleasure while perfect happiness may be
possible only in the afterlife. He reiterates the two categories of virtue such as
Aristotelian virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation, friendship, and Theological
virtues revealed to man through Jesus Christ: faith, hope, and love.
References:
https://www.slideshare.net/mbrents4/greek-philosophy-presentation?qid=63
6d9438-e2be-42ff-a5d9-fbe0dcf10351&v=&b=&from_search=1
https://www.thecollector.com/how-to-be-happy-according-to-plato/
https://www.happinessstrategies.com/2007/09/08/on-happiness-socrates/