Deadliest Philosopher : Midterm Project by Logan Whiles - H01

          So, here’s my idea for my midterm project. It’s a three-part spin off, in the form of blog posting, of the television show Deadliest Warrior. I think I’ll call it Deadliest Philosopher. I’ll follow the format of the show by listing off attributes of two philosophers and then put them head to head in a philosophical battle at the end to determine which philosopher had the sturdiest ideas, obviously in my own opinion. This philosophical battle may come as a debate on a subject, a look at how each philosopher may handle the same situation, or anything sort of environment I come up with that is tailored appropriately to the subject matter and the specialties of the competitors.

Epicurus vs. Seneca vs. Cicero vs. Epictetus

(Battle Royale)

          To begin, I’ll briefly address the backstory of each philosopher. Epicurus was something of a cult leader. He preached enjoying the simplest pleasures in life because those were the most easily attainable. He thought that if one wasted time and effort on hard to reach goals and lifestyles then they would create a mind for themselves that possessed a craving that could not be satisfied. Seneca was a famous stoic that also spent time as a jack-of-all-trades, taking part in politics to playwriting. He felt as though too many people wasted their lives away on useless tasks and could fix this problem by spending time enjoying their present situations and spending their time more efficiently. Cicero, another well-rounded and prominent stoic felt that old age could be conquered by recognizing the problems that come with it and also playing off its strengths. He also believed that the soul lived forever, unlike Epicurus, so it was useless to worry about the depravity of old age. Finally, Epictetus is famous for his ability to conquer his situations with peace of mind. This philosopher spent a good portion of his life as a slave and claimed that physical hardships like his own could be overcome by finding contentment with the things that one cannot change. He preached the fact that a man is in control of his own thoughts, no matter what his condition. 

This one is a little different...

          Setting - The aforementioned philosophers are each hovering over their own bodies, even though they died at much different times, in their present state, time is irrelevant so it is as if they have all just recently experienced their own deaths and are subsequently looking down at their graves and are now introduced with the thoughts and conversation that would naturally result from experiencing this phenomenon. 

Epicurus: Well, this was unexpected…

Epictetus: But you cannot change it. So how do you feel?

Epicurus: I feel a thousand times more content than I could have ever predicted.

Cicero: Honestly? You tried to deny the soul’s resilience and you feel no pang of guilt or regret from your life?

Seneca: He is compensating. What have you spent your life partaking in?

Epicurus: I have spent my life in wonderful company. I lived peacefully and happily, despite your accusations. I did not plan for this, but that is hardly a burden at all. My mentality is habit at this point; I’m not going to start lamenting now. I have been given a new bed to rest in, that is all.

Epictetus: Yes, I don’t know why you others cannot relate. He lives in our same dimension.

Cicero: They speak the truth, Seneca. He has lived a life of gratitude and humility. Let me ask you, Epicurus, how was your experience with old age?

Epicurus: I can’t complain. The less I was able to get around, the more the Garden came to my bedside. I was held in high esteem, those around me only asked of me my conversation and my blessing.

Seneca: So you have accomplished more than I expected, with far less effort. I can’t imagine a mindful of memories to be disappointing, when they consist of good company and peaceful lounging. I daresay you may have bested us all, Epicurus. We have wasted our time on our efforts. Yes, I was made proud by my business, my writings…but how many people did I compete against to earn my place. And how much time did I waste getting there, travelling blind, focused only on my goal, as one could only be?

Epicurus: Life is made to be simple, friends. Look at the lion, who lives happily. They live happy and proud, enjoying the simple gifts of the Earth. They experience love, loss, camaraderie, gratitude, and everything else we could dream of. They experience it simply. We live a similar life, yet we have the capability to alter our existence. Yet, what else could one strive for but to diminish the negative experiences? If one is left with only his simple pleasures, then he has nothing to trouble him. And that is how I have existed, and will continue to exist, wherever this new form takes me.

          I thought it would be interesting to stick a bunch of philosophers with similar ideas together and see what happened. This is what I got because I kept feeling like Epicurus was surer of himself. He stripped away all the negative possibilities from his life and lived happily and simply. I think that is a more assuring way of living life than trying to address all the problems of old age and fix them by your own assumptions. While I still agree with Cicero and Seneca in their beliefs, I just think Epicurus did it better and more smoothly. Epictetus also had some commendable ideals, but I couldn’t find enough about him to justify him taking the lead in the conversation. Overall, I think Epicurus was the most mentally successful out of all these respectable philosophers. It would have been nice to see them all hanging out together in the Garden sometime, though.

Winner : Epicurus

Word Count: 865

Also, this is my final post; number 3 outta 3.

Works Referenced

Warburton, Nigel. A Little History of Philosophy. New Haven: Yale University Press

            2011. Print.