On The Shortness Of Life And Rene Descartes Analysis

Philosophy, although a very complex subject, can quite simply be construed as a quest to gain wisdom and the truth through profound analysis. In an attempt to gain this wisdom and insight, numerous philosophers have taken contrasting approaches that have led them to different conclusions about what is true. Seneca, the author of On the Shortness of Life, and Rene Descartes, the author of A Discourse on the Method, are two philosophers who have sought wisdom and shared the methods they believe to be successful in achieving an exceptional way of living. In his approach, Seneca discusses the concept of time, and how to use it efficiently in order to ensure that you lead a long and fulfilling life. On the other hand, Descartes explains the†¦show more content†¦One of the points Seneca makes is that people are too preoccupied with gaining things that they do not have or devoting their lives to someone else, whether it be by pursuing other people’s money or envying their su periors (2). In a way, Descartes alludes to this fact by speaking of the reason that he abandoned his education. Once Descartes realized that he could reasonably doubt everything that he had been taught, he wanted to clear his mind of the beliefs and opinions of others, and create a method that could lead him in the right path. He expands on this thought when he states, â€Å"it is almost impossible that our judgments are as pure or as solid as they might have been if we had full use of our reason from the moment of our birth, and had been guided by that alone† (13). If people were not influenced by the judgments of others, they would have a much better ability to reason clearly and precisely, therefore allowing them to live a fuller life. Since Seneca does not provide people with a way to not be preoccupied with the lives of other people, Descartes method of wiping his thoughts of the judgments of others can be added to Seneca’s position on being preoccupied with oth ers in order to gain better wisdom. In addition, Seneca brings forth the point that the present is short, the future is doubtful, and the past is certain (15). For this reason, he does not think that people should live in fear of the next day, or base their lives off of the hope thatShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of The Mind Body Problem2474 Words   |  10 Pagesphysical and mental realm? The mind/body problem has been debated for centuries. Am I a person that acts because of the mental processes of my brain, or are the processes in my brain just that? The mind/body problem continues to be important in everyday life because of many types of mind/body connections including how our bodies respond to various situations such as stress, nervousness, or anxiety. When considering myself as a human being am I simply a physical object or is there a deeper meaning to my