🖌️ The Highest Good, Flourishing, Enlightenment, and the Meaning of Life
Monday Muse (August 21, 2023)
Greetings Readers!
Here is the latest Monday Muse with a morning meditation, perennial reminder, question, and recommendation(s) to consider.
Be wise and be well this week!
📿 Morning Meditation
This week’s morning meditation is courtesy of The Wisdom School podcast (Apple or Spotify). Today’s meditation is a short selected reading (delivered in a Lectio Divina style) inspired by the writings of Aristotle.
📌 Perennial Reminder(s)
From the beginning, the Stoics have said that the only way to live a flourishing life is to focus on being a good person. The Greeks even had a special word for a flourishing, fulfilling, happy life: eudaimonia. Our English word “happiness” doesn’t even come close to capturing the full meaning of this ancient idea. Achieving eudaimonia means you are happy, but not in the same way that you feel happy when you get a promotion at work or eat an ice-cream sundae. Eudaimonia is a stable condition, not a temporary feeling, so it doesn’t come and go depending on what happens to you. The only way to find this lasting peace and happiness is to not worry about external things and to instead focus on living wisely. […]
Source: Tranquility Parenting by Brittany Polat (Listen to the conversation)
💡 Perennial Question(s)
What is enlightenment?
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! [Dare to know!] Have courage to use your own understanding!
Source: What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant (Listen to my conversation with Karen Stohr for more on Kant)
🔥 Recommendation(s)
This week’s recommendation is an upcoming course by the Perennial Leader Project on Happiness & the Meaning of Life (free for Perennial Meditations members). It’s a philosophical study of the art (and science) of living well. The course explores the writing and philosophy of Aristotle, Seneca, the Buddha, Epicurus, William James, Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl, and others.
Another recommendation to consider is the Socrates’ Children Boxed Set by Peter Kreeft. In this four-volume series, Kreeft delivers an introduction to philosophy via the hundred greatest philosophers of all time.
🎧 Recent Podcast(s)
Thank you for reading/listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W.
P.S. As always, if you’re interested in becoming a member but unable to afford it. Feel free to request a complimentary membership or use this discount link for anyone who needs a little help.