Everyone has a philosophy even if we don’t know about it. Some are well defined, some not quite. Some are deep and well thought out while others could be a little shallow. We may not, at times, be able to express it in words but we all have our own philosophies. Let’s take a look at some of most recognized outlooks towards life, theorized by eminent philosophers over the world and find out which school of thought do we belong to. Hedonism – if pleasure is the only thing you live for. Hedonism is a philosophy that believes the only purpose of life is to gain pleasure. An ethical hedonist will do anything within his capacity to maximize the pleasures of life. Considering pleasure as the only intrinsically valuable aspect of life and living a life based on such terms does sound appealing. There are arguments against the philosophy deeming it superficial. However, there are variants of the school of thought that makes it more complex. For example, Epicurean Hedonism is the philosophical quest to reduce the anguish caused by life and the fear of death. The Paradox of Hedonism, however, lies in the argument that constant pursuing of pleasure hinders the process of actually experiencing it.

Logical Atomism – if you think reality lies in simplicity

Developed by British philosopher, Bertrand Russel, the idea professes that “simple facts” make up the world and life as we know of it and these facts are just like atoms which cannot be broken down any further. Just as there are multiple layers of matter which when removed all finally leaves the atom, Logical Atomism believes the “simple facts” when stripped of their superficial layers let us understand how life unfolds.

The school of thought strives for the simplification of ideas until their elementary states are reached so that the truth can be achieved. It opposes the earlier philosophy of “Absolute Idealism” of Hegel which said nothing can be understood in parts without understanding everything first.

Stoicism – if you think hope is the opium of emotions

The stoics believe that that real virtue lies in not what a man says but in how he behaves. Stoicism claims that judgement is often manipulated by emotions, eventually leading us to sins. Therefore, a stoic practices the art of not having emotions at all.

Stoics consider themselves as a small part of nature and strives to live in harmony with it because according to stoicism, trying to resist nature will only garner frustration, disappointment and anger. A stoic is not affected by the adversities of life but endures them with stoic indifference. It is a philosophy that urges you to be prepared for the very worst and be absolutely calm about it.