The Concept of the Happy Life; A Comparison in Epicurean and Stoic Philosophies

Throughout history, the nature of the happy life has been described by numerous philosophers and their philosophies. Among those that have attempted this explanation are the Stoics, who were founded by Zeno, and Epicureans, established by Epicurus. Both agree that indulging desires in moderation is necessary for attaining happiness. As well, according to the Epicureans, the ultimate aim of life is to achieve tranquility of the soul, which is very similar to the condition of apathy the Stoics believed was ideal (Matson, 195). Though they existed concurrently, the similarities between the tw…