That's what we explore here at Epicureanfriends.com, the internet home of

[[https://www.epicureanfriends.com/wcf/blog/entry/38-not-neo-epicurean-but-epicurean/|Classical Epicurean Philosophy]].

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 “isms” with which many seek to combine it. At EpicureanFriends, we focus on the fundamentals of life as Epicurus taught them himself:

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 "pleasure" refers not only to agreeable sensory stimulation of mind and body but also to all normal and healthy conditions of mind and body, as these too are experienced but not felt to be painful. Seen in this way, Epicurus call to pursue pleasure is neither “hedonistic” nor “ascetic,” but a call to pursue health of body and mind according to Nature.

“Again, the truth that pleasure is the supreme good can be most easily apprehended from the following consideration. Let us imagine an individual in the enjoyment of pleasures great, numerous and constant, both mental and bodily, with no pain to thwart or threaten them; I ask what circumstances can we describe as more excellent than these or more desirable? A man whose circumstances are such must needs possess, as well as other things, a robust mind subject to no fear of death or pain, because death is apart from sensation, and pain when lasting is usually slight, when oppressive is of short duration, so that its temporariness reconciles us to its intensity, and its slightness to its continuance.” (Torquatus Section, On Ends [40] XII., Cicero)

“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, for sometimes we treat a good thing as bad and a bad thing as good. (excerpt from Letter to Menoeceus)

To Epicurus, “pleasure” was not a term that is confined to occasional experiences of mental or physical excitement. “Pleasure” includes all mental and physical experiences which we do not find painful. Under this worldview, every moment of life is either pleasurable or painful, and there is no middle ground between the two. “Pleasure” therefore includes every type of agreeable experience, no matter how cerebral, emotional, or physical. And since “death is nothing to us” - we cease to exist and have no experiences of any kind after death - the Epicurean understands the urgency of appreciating life fully for the pleasure that it affords.

As a result of this view of life, the phrase “absence of pain” comes into focus - not as an attitude of escape from discomfort - but as meaning exactly the same thing as “pleasure.” This cannot be overstated: “absence of pain” need not be seen as a mysterious condition hinting at altered states of consciousness or drugged-out stupor. Instead, “absence of pain” describes the result of achieving the logical and natural goal of life in its highest and best form - a life of positive experiences without any mixture of negatives.

This view of the relationship between pleasure and pain is similar to the Epicurean view of atomism: everything in the universe is understood to be composed of either matter or void, and those are the only two possibilities. In a similar same way, from the Epicurean perspective every feeling is understood to be one of only two possibilities: pleasure or pain. From this perspective, 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 Norman DeWitt, a noted scholar of Epicurus, observed:

“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; nor that human beings would be the happier for so reasoning and believing.”

Epicurus' worldview rejects not only the prevailing definition of ”pleasure,“ but also the common conceptions of ”gods,“ ”virtue,“ and even ”good and evil.“

In Epicurean terms ”gods“ do exist, and it is important to act ”virtuously,“ but ”gods“ are not supernatural or omniscient beings which create universes or control human affairs, and ”virtue“ is not desirable as an end it itself, but as a means of obtaining pleasure. “Good” and “evil” are not abstract absolutes, but are ultimately evaluations based on sensations of pleasure and pain felt by real living things. “Practical Reason” is held to be essential for living wisely, but “dialectical logic” is rejected as misleading. It is a major goal of EpicureanFriends to explore Epicurean terminology in these and other areas so we can appreciate the philosophy as the ancient Epicureans understood it.

For more on terminology and similar topics, check out our FAQ page. We also particularly recommend Episode 222 of the Lucetius Today Podcast where we discuss key terminology issues surrounding “happiness” and “pleasure” and “virtue.” Click over to our Getting Started guide for a further introduction to Epicurean thinking, and find out where to go first when you start the study of Epicurus.

Epicurus held that there is nothing more important to happy living than friendship, and one good way to start making Epicurean friends is to join our discussion of Epicurean philosophy at our discussion forum is a great way to learn about the teachings of Epicurus while meeting others who are also interested in Epicurean philosophy. You do not have to agree with every aspect of Epicurean philosophy in order to open an account and ask questions, but we do have firm standards for the friendly interaction of those who do participate in discussions.

Registering for an account requires agreement to our Terms of Use as well as our Community Standards and Posting Policy, with the understanding that when posting to the forum we are all working together to maintain a friendly and encouraging community space. We hope you benefit from our site, and if you find yourself as friendly toward Epicurus as we are, we invite you to consider joining us in our pursuit of the true meaning of the philosophy of Epicurus!

Please be sure to spend time with our About Us page, our FAQ, and the public forums before posting.

Epicurus stressed the importance of making and referring to outlines as a way of grasping and applying his philosophy to particular concepts, and we have a variety of outlines to get you started. Click on the graphic for the single page collapsible outline:

Navigation - Ecco Style

The following graphical Navigation Map links you to locations within the EpicureanFriends forum where each issue is discussed. If you are on a touch-screen device, it's easy to zoom in and out of the graphic to read the details. The Outline version of the map contains key citations in the texts supporting each point.

Read about the Core Aspects of Classical Epicurean Philosophy emphasized at EpicureanFriends.

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 "pleasure" refers not only to agreeable sensory stimulation of mind and body but also to all normal and healthy conditions of mind and body, as these too are experienced but not felt to be painful. Seen in this way, Epicurean pleasure is neither “hedonistic” nor “ascetic” as those terms are generally understood, but consists in all types of healthy non-painful function of both body and mind.

“Again, the truth that pleasure is the supreme good can be most easily apprehended from the following consideration. Let us imagine an individual in the enjoyment of pleasures great, numerous and constant, both mental and bodily, with no pain to thwart or threaten them; I ask what circumstances can we describe as more excellent than these or more desirable? A man whose circumstances are such must needs possess, as well as other things, a robust mind subject to no fear of death or pain, because death is apart from sensation, and pain when lasting is usually slight, when oppressive is of short duration, so that its temporariness reconciles us to its intensity, and its slightness to its continuance.” (Torquatus Section, On Ends [40] XII., Cicero)

“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, for sometimes we treat a good thing as bad and a bad thing as good. (excerpt from Letter to Menoeceus)

A Note About Epicurean Terminology - For all visitors, including those considering joining the discussion forum, we recommend that you take some time to understand that due to terminology differences, seemingly simple statements about ”pleasure,” “gods,” “virtue,” and even “good and evil” or “religion” can frequently mean something very different in Epicurean terms from what they may expect.

In Epicurean terms “gods” do exist, and it is important to act “virtuously,” but “gods” are not supernatural or omniscient beings which create universes or control human affairs, and “virtue” is not desirable as an end it itself, but as a means of obtaining pleasure. “Good” and “evil” are not abstract absolutes, but are ultimately evaluations based on sensations of pleasure and pain felt by real living things. “Practical Reason” is held to be essential for living wisely, but “dialectical logic” is rejected as misleading. It is a major goal of EpicureanFriends to explore Epicurean terminology in these and other areas so we can appreciate the philosophy as the ancient Epicureans understood it. For more on terminology and similar topics, check out our FAQ page. We also particularly recommend Episode 222 of the Lucetius Today Podcast where we discuss key terminology issues surrounding “happiness” and “pleasure” and “virtue.”

Are you interested in joining the Epicurean philosophy discussion?

Joining the Epicurean philosophy discussion forum is a great way to learn about the teachings of Epicurus while meeting others who are also interested in Epicurean philosophy. You do not have to agree with every aspect of Epicurean philosophy in order to open an account and ask questions, but we do have firm standards for the friendly interaction of those who do participate in discussions. Please be sure to spend time with our About Us page, our FAQ, and the public forums before posting.

Registering for an account requires agreement to our Terms of Use as well as our Community Standards and Posting Policy, with the understanding that when posting to the forum we are all working together to maintain a friendly and encouraging community space. We hope you benefit from our site, and if you find yourself as friendly toward Epicurus as we are, we invite you to consider joining us in our pursuit of the true meaning of the philosophy of Epicurus!

Click here for our list of Primary Texts, including:

Cicero - On Ends

The Epicurus College Course Materials Website contains reference documentation, including digital copies of core ancient Epicurean documents used in the Epicurus College Courses. In addition to those course material documents, we have a series of “Key Issues” documents on the following topics:

• Hu's On First (The Algebra of Pleasure)
• "Pleasure" Is The Goal Of Life - Not "Tranquility," "Virtue," Or Anything Else
• "The Map Is Not the Same As the Territory"
• There is No True World Beyond This One
• Basics of Epicurean Canonics
• The Fullness of Pleasure Model

Key Links for the project are: | EpicureanFriends.com | NewEpicurean.com

Important Online Sources For Translations: | Perseus Diogenes Laetius - 10- Epicurus - English - Hicks) | Perseus - Lucretius - Latin | Perseus - Lucretius - English - Emery |

Key Links here at the EpicureanFriends Wiki include: | About Us | Not Neo-Epicurean But Epicurean | Posting Policy | Community Standards - Rules of The Forum | Major Characteristics Of The Epicurean View of Life | Cassius Amicus Collection At Archive.org |

Getting Started

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