Is there a certain philosophy or philosopher that maintains our first goal in life is to better ourselves?

Question

I think that reguardless of whether there is a god, or an afterlife, or whatever.. If all people seek to learn about their own nature and better themselves, and reach toward goodness and kindness, your reward at the end of your life will be the lack of regret... and you will know you always tried hard. And you will end up a far greater person than the helpless, selfish being you you began life as. Is there a philosopher/philosophy/author who has written about this idea?

I did not ask for anyone to comment on my philosophy, just to answer the question, thanks, Irish. If you would like to discuss my (Catholic) religious and personal beleifs that we begin life as selfish, please message me. And Don- I agree with you about Jesus' message, that is what my feelings about this are based upon. I am more interested however in reading secular writings on the idea.

Answer 1

the closest thing would be virtue ethics. I would say Aristotle in the Nichomachean ethics comes close to the position you are describing, the person who has a certain skill in life, the phronemos or expert-at-life that makes practical sound/wise everyday situational decisions and betters themselves through fulfilling his/her basic human function/nature. This would be the person taht fulfills their rational function through making rational decisions in accordance with having dispositions towards a virtuous character, taking into account their intentions, emotions, conditioning, attitude, and psychological make-up. In short, the mental, emotional, the character dispositions and all the rest are all working in harmony and reinforcing each other. Aristotle also believes that this is the good or happy life (eudaimonia). His stress on the 'ethical life' or first goal being what makes the PERSON better (by enacting their function fully) makes it similar to the position you are describing.

However, you'd have to put aside the bit about the 'reward at the end', since a virtue ethicist isn't going to say the good life is one that happens to give you a reward at the end. For example, it wouldn't be virtuous to do the above just to recieve the reward of happiness at the end, rather it should be done because it is the rational virtuous thing to do in accordance with ones nature as a rational being. if you were to do it solely for the 'reward' then that would be a form of egoism or utilitarianism. Also, Aristotle wouldn't care too much if you tried hard. if you don't have the right character through your upbringing then on his view you're a bit out of luck. The problem is that while there are several ethicists that would agree with your position generally, it's going to be hard to find someone that agrees with ALL the details you laid out.

other people you might consider reading are Bernard Williams, Hume, Nietzsche, krishnamurti, and others.

a link: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/

Answer 2

George Ivanovitch Guirdjieff and Petr Ouspenskii in the Fourth Way can give you a fair bit in that area which is not connected with religion.

From a more simple and modern point of view The Science of Deliberate Creation could be said to impart all that is needed to accomplish this marvellous goal.

Answer 3

The two that come to my mind that want us to strive to better ourselves (find eternal happiness) are Plato (read the Republic) and Jesus (read the Bible). In fact there are a couple similarities of their views on this matter.

Both said there would be struggles on this Earth while we are living. There will be problems here in this life intermingled with fleeing glimpses of happiness. True happiness and understanding will be found in the next life.

Answer 4

It depends on your meaning of better.

If you mean be more excepting and loving then yes.

Jesus taught that this was what we should be doing. Religion has clouded his message to the point where it is unrecognizable, but if you read carefully between the lines it is still there.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 5

you don't have to follow "others"

job one: love yourself
job next: love one another as yourself

p.s.
we don't begin life as a selfish being