IS WEALTH THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

The question of 'what does it mean to live the good life?' is one that has fascinated philosophers for centuries. We all want to know what it means to live a 'good life' - a life that is happy, fulfilling, and achieves our purpose here on earth. Religions have taught that pleasing God and attaining salvation is the secret to living this 'good life', whilst societies have taught that fulfilling your duty as a citizen and making your contribution to the prosperity of the nation is the way to achieve fulfilment. In the western world today, it appears the the pursuit of self-interest and the accumulation of wealth is a sure sign of knowing that you have 'made it'.

The more money you have in the bank, the more designer brands you have in the wardrobe, the more super-yachts you have in the harbour, the more trophy-wives you have in the bedroom - these all seem to be our measures of success in the modern world. Our television channels are bursting with lavish displays of ludicrous levels of wealth, whilst our Instagram feeds have become saturated with so-called 'stars' flaunting their latest purchases...we live in a world of constant consumption, where your success is measured by the value of your latest Louis Vuitton handbag. This is - of course - how a capitalist economy works. Money is the new God - without it being earned and spent, the whole system would collapse. But is money - and the lavish products, holidays and houses it buys - really our only measure of success?

Even the religious are getting in on the act. Whilst Jesus may have said it was easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, religious leaders are more concerned with their own wealth and prosperity than in serving the poor. Christian evangelists regularly flaunt their mansions, wealth and lavish lifestyles on their big-money-making television networks, whilst the founder of Scientology L Ron Hubbard famously once wrote that the quickest way to make a million in America is to found a new religion. Money has become seen as a sign of God's grace, an idea that can be traced back to the theology of John Calvin, a 16th century protestant theologian known for championing the use of interest payments on loans and subsequently making Christianity compatible with capitalism.

In a society of survival of the fittest - where survival is about having money in the bank and being able to keep up with consumer culture - is the sole purpose of life the accumulation of wealth? Is our measure of man's success the amount of money he has to spend? The number of homes he owns in the Caribbean? The size of his car in comparison to that of his neighbours?