The Good Life-As viewed in Ancient Europe

A detailed Summary of The Good Life-As viewed in Ancient Europe


This essay will present an organized material in which it will discuss the idea of the Good Life as the Egyptians, Greeks and Hebrews thought of it. It will give the basic definitions of each about the Good Life and illustrate with some examples.

In the Egyptian culture the Good Life was a life of attunement to Ma'at, a life of obedience to the gods and conformity. The ideal man was silent. Time was as nature's time, cyclical and repetitive. It was modeled after the seasons of nature. Ordinary time was of no importance or significance to them. Neither was the particular. The ideal was the begging. It was the complete opposite of linear time. There was a strong emphasis on rituals and ceremonial burials.

The Greek outlook was taken in the whole human condition. Man was god-like but still weak and ephernal, he


is a mortal and suffers. Differing from the Judaic line of thought, man didn't have the individual worth but was still human and his life was worthwhile. He pondered and grasped the meaning of life. He can live well by learning the rhythms, which govern life. The thought that man was like the gods and vice versa was expressed by Pindar (518-438 B.C.E.) Man had freedom and everything happened due to necessity or fate. Homer expressed this line of thought well in the play Oedipus the King. The theme was that even the great and wise must suffer. Yet man isn't a puppet; he can accept and live with his fate. The Good Life meant enjoying the good things of life, it also meant living with the sense of proportion and respect for Man's limits. The goal was to strive for all-rounded excellence balancing out the virtues. <

Some common words found in the essay are:
Greeks Hebrews, Ancient Jews, Differing Judaic, Life Hebrew, Oedipus King, Savior Messiah, , meaning life, life meant,

Approximate Word count = 557
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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