Critique of the Various Philosophy Viewpoints on the Nature of Man

What is the significance of life? After birth, we, human being rapidly ages
then dies. So what are we going to do to make our life meaningful? What is the point of
living having this limited time in earth?

“Reality simply consists of different points of view” – by Margaret Atwood. The

nature of man views by the three Oriental Sages, Greek philosophers and the Christian
philosophers.

According to Buddha, life is full of suffering. Suffering is brought by our bodily

desires and because our life, tend to have more and more things and it we may end up
in misery if we can’t achieve it. According to him, the true meaning of life is helping others
achieve freedom from suffering. Buddha emphasizes about life that we need to be simple
or humble and contented what we have for us not to suffer because of desires. Lao Tzu
emphasizes that man live in a simple life, or can have harmony through the right view
and virtuous life. The superior man can control his bodily desires because his spirit is
much stronger than matter. It tells and teaches us to do work with all the best and leave
the rest to the above. Confucius believes that life is a living reality, a blessing, a natural
priceless right and opportunity to be with others to work together to achieve the common
good and man’s destiny. Since, his philosophy centers to social or moral order so he made
the golden rule with this principle. He wants man to have order with the society and to
live harmony. Thus, the three oriental sages teach us that man must live and do things
right to attain the highest goal of man. I agree on them that if we will live simple and do
good things right we can avoid conflicts that made us suffer. Living with these principles
will help us to have a harmonious and virtuous way of life.

Socrates views that man is unique through his ability to think and question his own
existence. He believes that knowledge is inborn and virtue is natural also, so virtue can’t
be taught but we need to discover our own self because virtue is also inborn for man, it
is awaken the good deeds on ourselves. Man must live right not only knowing the right
things. Socrates is right, man must not know only the rules and laws of the society but
they need to live with it, and to do things right to be virtuous. We need to accompany
our actions by wisdom in order to virtuous.

Plato with the idealist perspective, views man as a concept or idea or just
appearances. Man is a soul using a body. Man desires to do good or to live in a virtuously
way. For Plato, he teaches us to consider other in making decisions to do good things.
Being virtuous, we do not desire what is good but desires what we thinks to be is good
to everyone and it shows moral virtue. It is not always right that we are not thinking the
sake of others sometimes because our decisions can hurt them, so in order to have a
happy life we must be virtuous by doing good things for everybody.

Aristotle believes that man is compose of mind and soul. Supreme good is an
activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. A virtuous person is someone who lives
their life well or lives with the best. He is also the founder of the golden mean which says,
that we need to do things in a moderation, it is not over nor deficient. I can say that the
Golden mean can be right and wrong. It can be right if we are live life and do things in
moderation like drinking alcohol, eating, temperance, honesty, etc. Moral virtue is simply
a matter of doing/living well in the function of being human.

St. Augustine tells us that we can found happiness in God alone. God is love
because with love we can be with Him. Living in a virtuous life, we need to right and well.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, says that the perfect happiness which all men seek can be found
in God also. Through love we can reach the ultimate destiny of man. It is true to both of
them that love is God because with the love we can be with our creator, we can reach
the highest good. Since, to love God is to love yourself, and to love others and not doing
bad things to them.

According to Immanuel Kant, Christian does needs to do good and practice virtue
for an ulterior motive or to do good things to attain perfect happiness with God in heaven.
Morality is not about becoming happy but rather becoming worthy of happiness. It is true
that moral being is not happy alone but making the happiness worth it by considering
others, doing things that everybody can be benefitted and making someone happy and
making him good, may establish morality.

With the different philosophers, we need to live virtuously by doing right things
and considering others in making some decisions that will make them happy also. Being
virtuous is by being worthy or practicing good deeds. Life is meaningful not only should
we discover its worthiness, but we should also realize its ultimate significance.