Revisit three themes from the Apology:
1. Time
2. Death
3. Uncertainty
Time and death are important themes for al-Ghazali as well. One difference is that in The Alchemy of Happiness, al-Ghazali develops the idea that time and the world in which we live are deceptive:
The world "pretends that it will always remain with you, while, as a matter of fact, it is slipping away from you, moment by moment, and bidding you farewell, like a shadow which seems stationary, but is actually always moving" (p. 29*).
In other words, every day and every moment brings us closer to death and the afterlife, but the world deceives us into believing that it has everything to offer.
Even though this world is essentially a way station for us "pilgrims" traveling to the next world (p. 27), it easily ensnares the careless. It does so through "trifles" and distractions; it plays on our worldly desires and it seduces us:
"Unless a man maintains the strictest watch he is certain to be fascinated and entangled by the world..." (p. 28)
"...but each of these so-called 'trifles' branches out into countless ramifications until they swallow up the whole of a man's time..." (p. 30)
In the above quotes, the world is portrayed as a web of interconnected traps that waste time. Knowing your true nature will give you the fortitude to resist entanglement.
Consider this portrayal of debauchery:
A Midnight Modern Conversation (Unknown artist after William Hogarth; ca. 1732)†
As with Ophelia, there are different ways of "reading" this picture. Let's recall our discussion of the Apology and two perspectives on time and death:
I: Life is short ... death is annihilation. Belief in an afterlife is a delusion.
II: Even a single day has value ... Death is a transition. True life begins with death.
If we subscribe to I, why not cram as much pleasure as possible into life?
Work to make money ➞ Spend money to have a good time ➞ Work to make more money ➞ Spend more money to have a good time ...
Here, the key to happiness is: delay death and have fun.
How might al-Ghazali respond to this?
If you believe the above, then you don't know yourself. Your view of life and your purpose in this world is fundamentally wrong.
Death is not the end, it is a transition. If we live wrongly in this world, we will carry our wrongs — and the internal pains that go with them — into the next world.
Some of the men in A Midnight Modern Conversation appear to be having a good time. But the key word here is time. Good times do not last forever. As stated above, the world is slowly slipping away.
Do not become fixated on the external world. Look into yourself. By attaining a deeper knowledge of yourself, you will gain knowledge of the One who made you. Once you take these steps, you are on the way to understanding your place in this world and the next.
Knowledge of self ➞ Knowledge of God ➞ Knowledge of your role in this world and the next.
"...the pains which souls suffer after death all have their source in excessive love of the world" (p. 37).
Q: What is "excessive" and what is not? How much pleasure is too much? If we accept Socrates' conclusion in Meno — viz., most if not all of us have only beliefs and opinions about virtue — how can we trust ourselves to judge correctly between excess and moderation?
Consider self-knowledge — i.e., knowing who and what you are, knowing your limits and real needs — as a possible solution.
* Unless otherwise stated, page numbers refer to: The Alchemy of Happiness by Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (Translator: Claud Field; revised and annotated by Elton L. Daniel); M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 1991.
† Additional information is available at http://collections.britishart.yale.edu/vufind/Record/1671164
