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===== How would you live if you were certain that there were no supernatural gods and no life after death? ===== | ===== How would you live if you were certain that there were no supernatural gods and no life after death? ===== | ||
- | That's what we explore here at Epicureanfriends.com, | + | That's what we explore here at Epicureanfriends.com, |
EpicureanFriends was established in 2015 by a group of friends interested in the study of Epicurus freed from the intrusion of contemporary politics, Stoicism, Platonism, Humanism, and other " | EpicureanFriends was established in 2015 by a group of friends interested in the study of Epicurus freed from the intrusion of contemporary politics, Stoicism, Platonism, Humanism, and other " | ||
- | {{ : | + | {{ : |
===== The Epicurean Worldview: A Revolutionary Paradigm For The Best Life ===== | ===== The Epicurean Worldview: A Revolutionary Paradigm For The Best Life ===== | ||
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- | >**Quote from Diogenes Laertius 10:34**\\ ”The internal sensations they say are two, pleasure and pain, which occur to every living creature, and the one is akin to nature and the other alien: by means of these two choice and avoidance are determined.“ | + | >**Quote from Diogenes Laertius 10: |
+ | ”The internal sensations they say are two, pleasure and pain, which occur to every living creature, and the one is akin to nature and the other alien: by means of these two choice and avoidance are determined.“ | ||
> | > | ||
- | >**Quote from Torquatus, Speaking for Epicurus in Cicero' | + | >**Quote from Torquatus, Speaking for Epicurus in Cicero' |
+ | Therefore Epicurus refused to allow that there is any middle term between pain and pleasure; what was thought by some to be a middle term, the absence of all pain, was not only itself pleasure, but the highest pleasure possible. __Surely any one who is conscious of his own condition must needs be either in a state of pleasure or in a state of pain__. Epicurus thinks that the highest degree of pleasure is defined by the removal of all pain, so that pleasure may afterwards exhibit diversities and differences but is incapable of increase or extension.“ | ||
Thus if you are not feeling pain you are feeling pleasure, and so to Epicurus the word " | Thus if you are not feeling pain you are feeling pleasure, and so to Epicurus the word " | ||
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- | >**Quote from Cicero' | + | >**Quote from Cicero' |
+ | For if that were the only pleasure which tickled the senses, as it were, if I may say so, and which overflowed and penetrated them with a certain agreeable feeling, then even a hand could not be content with freedom from pain without some pleasing motion of pleasure. But if the highest pleasure is, as Epicurus asserts, to be free from pain, then, O Chrysippus, the first admission was correctly made to you, that the hand, when it was in that condition, was in want of nothing; but the second admission was not equally correct, that if pleasure were a good it would wish for it. __For it would not wish for it for this reason, inasmuch as whatever is free from pain is in pleasure__. | ||
Seen in this way, Epicurean philosophy is neither " | Seen in this way, Epicurean philosophy is neither " | ||
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- | >**Quote from Torquatus, Speaking For Epicurus, In Cicero' | + | >**Quote from Torquatus, Speaking For Epicurus, In Cicero' |
+ | " | ||
Under this worldview, " | Under this worldview, " | ||
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- | >**Quote from Epicurus' | + | >**Quote from Epicurus' |
+ | And for this cause we call pleasure the beginning and end of the blessed life. For we recognize pleasure as the first good innate in us, and from pleasure we begin every act of choice and avoidance, and to pleasure we return again, using the feeling as the standard by which we judge every good. And since pleasure is the first good and natural to us, for this very reason we do not choose every pleasure, but sometimes we pass over many pleasures, when greater discomfort accrues to us as the result of them: and similarly we think many pains better than pleasures, since a greater pleasure comes to us when we have endured pains for a long time. Every pleasure then because of its natural kinship to us is good, yet not every pleasure is to be chosen: even as every pain also is an evil, yet not all are always of a nature to be avoided. Yet by a scale of comparison and by the consideration of advantages and disadvantages we must form our judgment on all these matters. For the good on certain occasions we treat as bad, and conversely the bad as good. | ||
The insight that all states of life are composed of either pleasure or pain parallels the Epicurean viewpoint that all bodies are composed of either matter or void. In a universe where every space is occupied by matter or void, human feelings are understood in a similar way - every //feeling// is either pleasure or pain, which is the same as saying that //any feeling which is not a pleasure is a pain, and any feeling which is not a pain is a pleasure. //As you might imagine, this sweeping definition of pleasure leads to a major shift in perspective. As one noted scholar of Epicurus observed: | The insight that all states of life are composed of either pleasure or pain parallels the Epicurean viewpoint that all bodies are composed of either matter or void. In a universe where every space is occupied by matter or void, human feelings are understood in a similar way - every //feeling// is either pleasure or pain, which is the same as saying that //any feeling which is not a pleasure is a pain, and any feeling which is not a pain is a pleasure. //As you might imagine, this sweeping definition of pleasure leads to a major shift in perspective. As one noted scholar of Epicurus observed: | ||
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- | >Quote from Norman DeWitt, " | + | >Quote from Norman DeWitt, " |
+ | The extension of the name of pleasure to this normal state of being was the major innovation of the new hedonism. It was in the negative form, freedom from pain of body and distress of mind, that it drew the most persistent and vigorous condemnation from adversaries. The contention was that the application of the name of pleasure to this state was unjustified on the ground that two different things were thereby being denominated by one name. Cicero made a great to-do over this argument, but it is really superficial and captious. **The fact that the name of pleasure was not customarily applied to the normal or static state did not alter the fact that the name ought to be applied to it; nor that reason justified the application; | ||
Epicurus' | Epicurus' | ||
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To get the most benefit from your time here: | To get the most benefit from your time here: | ||
- | - | + | - Read our EpicureanFriends Forums - Start in the General Discussion forum, or any of our many Special Topic forums. Due to the high number of forums already in place, we recommend the easy to use Search function at the top of each page, and you can search by Popular Tags or review our Full List of Tags. We also have many hyperlinked Outlines that will assist in navigating through the forum structure. We also have a list of Forum Short-Cuts to help you find the most popular forums. |
- | - | + | - Read our Frequently Asked Questions section - a list of many of the questions that normally come up during study. (If you have an account and find something missing, let us know and we'll add to it). |
- | - | + | - Read our collection of the Ancient Epicurean Extant Texts - a curated EpicureanFriends online collection of key texts. We recommend starting with the letters of Epicurus from Diogenes Laertus Book 10. |
- | - | + | - Read the two books we most recommend: Epicurus and His Philosophy by Norman DeWitt, and Living For Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life by Emily Austin. Austin' |
- | - | + | - Listen to our Lucretius Today Podcast series - new episodes are released each week. We have well over 200 episodes and counting since we started with Episode One in 2020. Episodes of special note include Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin, Letter to Menoeceus, The Canon, Reason, and Nature, Epicurus and His Philosophy: The New Hedonism, and especially Episode 200 (our anniversary episode discussing our past and future plans for the podcast). |
- | - | + | - Read our key Articles section - indepth material on a variety of issues. |
- | - | + | - Visit our Epicurean Friends Youtube Page - a selection of useful video presentations on Epicurus produced over the years. |
- | - | + | - Check out our Special Resources Page - a variety of informative items prepared by our EpicureanFriends forum members. |
- | - | + | - Check out our extensive Recommended Reading List - books and articles which we find supportive of our views on Epicurus. |
- | - | + | - Check out our Image Gallery - a collection of images, graphics, and memes by EpicureanFriends forum members. |
Participate in Our Forums with a Forum Membership | Participate in Our Forums with a Forum Membership | ||
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We have membership levels based on levels of experience. After registering for an account you will be assigned to “Introductory Member” basic level which will grant you the ability to ask questions and clarify your understanding of Epicurus. This basic level also gives you access to the Self-Study Quiz Section (a series of basic quizzes about the history and teachings of the Epicurean School) and the EpicureanFriends First Monday Meet-and-Greet (via Zoom). The “Established Member” level is for advanced students and grants those who are committed to Epicurus the option of collaborating on deeper study and promotion of the philosophy. Established members are invited to join our monthly 20th Meeting and our weekly Wednesday night advanced study group. | We have membership levels based on levels of experience. After registering for an account you will be assigned to “Introductory Member” basic level which will grant you the ability to ask questions and clarify your understanding of Epicurus. This basic level also gives you access to the Self-Study Quiz Section (a series of basic quizzes about the history and teachings of the Epicurean School) and the EpicureanFriends First Monday Meet-and-Greet (via Zoom). The “Established Member” level is for advanced students and grants those who are committed to Epicurus the option of collaborating on deeper study and promotion of the philosophy. Established members are invited to join our monthly 20th Meeting and our weekly Wednesday night advanced study group. | ||
- | If you wish to register, please be sure you have read our Community Standards / Rules of the Forum, our Not Neo-Epicurean, | + | If you wish to register, please be sure you have read our Community Standards / Rules of the Forum, our Not Neo-Epicurean, |
===== Seeking Out Epicurean Friends ===== | ===== Seeking Out Epicurean Friends ===== | ||
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Please be sure to spend time with our [[https:// | Please be sure to spend time with our [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Check out our [[Meetings and Conventions|]] page. | ||
===== Outlining Your Way Through Epicurean Philosophy ===== | ===== Outlining Your Way Through Epicurean Philosophy ===== | ||
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**Here Our Highest Good Is Pleasure** | **Here Our Highest Good Is Pleasure** | ||
- | Epicurus held that there are only two feelings given by Nature - pleasure and pain - and that if you are aware of feeling anything at all you are feeling one of the two. Thus if you are not feeling pain you are feeling pleasure, and so to Epicurus the word [[https:// | + | Epicurus held that there are only two feelings given by Nature - pleasure and pain - and that if you are aware of feeling anything at all you are feeling one of the two. Thus if you are not feeling pain you are feeling pleasure, and so to Epicurus the word [[https:// |
- | " | + | " |
"This is why we say that pleasure is the beginning and the end of a completely happy life. For we recognize it as the primary and innate good, we honor it in everything we accept or reject, and we achieve it if we judge every good thing by the standard of how that thing affects us. And because this is the primary and inborn good, we do not choose every pleasure. Instead, we pass up many pleasures when we will gain more of what we need from doing so. And we consider many pains to be better than pleasures, if we experience a greater pleasure for a long time from having endured those pains. So every pleasure is a good thing because its nature is favorable to us, yet not every pleasure is to be chosen — just as every pain is a bad thing, yet not every pain is always to be shunned. It is proper to make all these decisions through measuring things side by side and looking at both the advantages and disadvantages, | "This is why we say that pleasure is the beginning and the end of a completely happy life. For we recognize it as the primary and innate good, we honor it in everything we accept or reject, and we achieve it if we judge every good thing by the standard of how that thing affects us. And because this is the primary and inborn good, we do not choose every pleasure. Instead, we pass up many pleasures when we will gain more of what we need from doing so. And we consider many pains to be better than pleasures, if we experience a greater pleasure for a long time from having endured those pains. So every pleasure is a good thing because its nature is favorable to us, yet not every pleasure is to be chosen — just as every pain is a bad thing, yet not every pain is always to be shunned. It is proper to make all these decisions through measuring things side by side and looking at both the advantages and disadvantages, | ||
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===== Primary Texts ===== | ===== Primary Texts ===== | ||
- | Click here for our list of [[: | + | Click here for our list of [[: |
- | [[: | + | [[: |
===== Additional Articles ===== | ===== Additional Articles ===== | ||
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* [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
* [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
- | * [[: | + | * [[: |
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Important Online Sources For Translations: | Important Online Sources For Translations: | ||
- | Key Links here at the EpicureanFriends Wiki include: | [[: | + | Key Links here at the EpicureanFriends Wiki include: | [[:about_us|]] | [[: |
- | [[: | + | [[: |
- | [[Articles]] | + | [[:articles|]] |
[[: | [[: | ||