The tragic fact is that these questions are unanswerable. The existence or non-existence of some benevolent, supernatural being, lies outside of reason and so is not theoretically determinable. The same is true of all the other questions in that vein. We can find no induspitable axioms on which to base a logical approach to these questions, nor can we empirically verify any of our guesses. Since these questions are unanswerable I say that we should stop worrying.
Instead of seeking to answer these questions we can seek the goal they sought by other means. We want to know these answers because we want to know how to live well. Thankfully the question of how to live well is perfectly answerable. If you have read Aristotle's Ethics you will know that everyone's personal goal is happiness. It is what we seek when we attempt anything. (If you disagree with that sentiment I would encourage you to read the beginning of the Ethics, and if you still disagree please post a comment, I'd be interested to hear alternatives.)
And what would make us the most happy? From Plato's Republic we have that being virtuous is so great a happiness that no amount of external pain could drive you from it, nor any amount of external pleasure lure you away. What, precisely, Plato's virtue would look like is not always clear, but he does describe it as having your mind in order. Meaning to bring your desires in line with what is good for you.
Further from the Ethics we are told that reason is that by which our virtues are good. For example we call someone who is brave to a fault reckless, and it is not a good thing to be reckless. It is our reasoning that tells us when we should fight the odds and when we should submit. Making the correct decisions in this manner is what we would call truly brave. What is emerging from these Greek philosophers then is sound advice. To be happy we should seek to understand ourselves, set goals for our benefit, and adjust our desires so that we instinctively seek those goals.
The main trick with these goals is to never forget your final goal, happiness. If you've been having trouble paying your bills and you think you'd be more happy with more money, then a natural thing to do would be to work longer hours. This would certainly help pay the bills and it could be the appropriate solution for you. On the other hand working harder may stress you out more than worrying over money ever did. That's where your reasoning should kick in and weigh the costs and the benefits of working harder and try to find the best approach.
In short the only trick to living well and being happy is to continually examine your life. Look at the things that you do, since that is all you can control, and minimize the unpleasant while maximizing the pleasant. If you always keep your goal of sustained happiness in mind you should notice a steady improvement in your life.
To end, here is a quotation from Marcus Aurelius. More than any other piece of philosophy this has influenced my own happiness and I'll discuss it more in the next post.
"Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears." -- Marcus Aurelius
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