ABSTRACT
The human struggle to grasp the elusive nature of the good and well-lived life extends from ancient to modern thought (McGill, 1967; Telfer, 1980). Greek philosophers attempted to grapple the good life through different, often contradictory, formulations. Thus, for those who endorsed sheer hedonism, like Aristippus, the good life is epitomized in the experience of maximum pleasure. A more moderate school of hedonism was established by Epicurus, who advocated restraint in the consumption of pleasure. In contrast, Aristotle championed the optimal actualization of one’s potentials, which he termed eudaimonia. Referring to excellence and perfection of individuals’ virtues and talents, eudaimonia is a meaning-based prescription of the “supreme good” in life, and its attainment may sometimes require anguish rather than pleasure.
