The Epicureans

(Originally Written July 15. 2006 in Book 4)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Chapter 27: The Epicureans

Epicurus founded the Epicureans. He was a poor Athenian colonist from Samos. He was born around 342-341 BC. He was taught by Nausiphanes, a follower of Democritus. He eventually founded a school in Athens and died there in 271-270 BC.

Despite a childhood wrought with turmoil, he was a pleasant man.

He formed a community around his school. The community lived simply for two reasons:
1) Principles
2) A lack of money

Side note:

I'm watching a show on exorcism on Discovery Channel right now. I believe that all "possessions by demons" should be viewed skeptically, but never completely denied. There is a spiritual realm and possessions can occur. The problem is there is no real (physical or sensible) way of measuring it. Unsuccessful exorcisms or 'misdiagnosed' possessions do not negate the reality of possessions, only a bad theology. Just as bad theology does not negate the existence of God, it does not negate the existence of demons. Bad theology simply points out the fallibility of man's mind and his incapability of understanding and thus, impossibility of practicing true faith.

Side note done.

They were ascetic, not because goods were intrinsically evil, but because luxuries often carried unneeded baggage and unscrupulous desires.

Epicurus suffered from bad health his entire life. He was uncommonly resolute to this condition. Despite his sickness and poverty, he took good care of one of his disciple' children. Metrodorus had died and Epicurus took his children in and took care of them. When he was dying he wrote a letter to a friend urging him to take care of these kids after he himself died. In spite of the fact that the letter was written on the day of his death, the letter was quite upbeat.

Despite his pleasantness to mankind, he was vicious in his attacks on other philosophers, especially his teacher Nausiphanes, whom he called the Mollusk. This viciousness led him to a severe form of dogmatism.

Epicurus' teachings were to be unquestioned by his followers. This proved true even still when Lucretius put Epicurus in poetic form centuries later.

Epicurus' philosophy was designed to achieve tranquility in a hostile, chaotic world of post-Alexander hellenism.

He believed that pleasure was the good. Pleasure of the stomach was the root of all good. Pleasure of the mind was the reflection of the mind on bodily pleasures.

He distinguishes between dynamic and static pleasures, thus denying any form of hedonism. Dynamic pleasures come from attaining something and is accompanied by pain. Static pleasures are simply enabling a constant equilibrium.

Violent joys are dynamic pleasures and cannot be had without pain. Thus, static pleasures, which cause equilibrium ought to be more desirable because there is no pain in a state of equilibrium.

For Epicurus the absence of pain, not the pursuit of pleasure is the aim of his life.

The greatest good is prudence, even greater than philosophy.

Epicurus defined philosophy as a practical system to secure a happy life. Common sense, not logic or mathematics was the only thing needed for philosophy.

Public life was disdainful for Epicurus because it caused other men to envy them.

Sexual love, the highest dynamic pleasure was obviously banned. "Sexual intercourse has never done a man good and he is lucky if it has not harmed him" (Russell, 245).

Oddly enough, Epicurus loved children and relied on other people to break his rule to enjoy their company.

Lucretius, his later poetic follower did not disapprove of sex if it was divorced from passion.

Friendship was the highest social interaction for Epicurus.

Despite his selfish philosophical views, he loved friendship and saw it as an end in and of itself.

He thought fear to be one of the strongest and most pervasive of all evils. The two sources of fear were religion and the dread of death.

Epicurus was a materialist, but not a determinist.

Epicurus believed the gods existed simply because the idea of god was so widespread. The gods though did not meddle in human affairs, in life or in death.

The only prominent disciple of Epicurus was Lucretius (99-55 BC).

Lucretius was drawn to Epicurus because Lucretius was wildly passionate and severely ate to pain. Epicurean indifference and method of overcoming pain was a savior to Lucretius. It doesn't seem to have worked as Lucretius suffered a bout with insanity and eventually committed suicide.

Linehan- obviously Epicureanism works well.

Lucretius believed Epicurus to one the destroyer of religion and wrote about him in an ironically religious tone.

Yet another Russell attack on Christianity: "The Philosophers took refuge, with the few exceptions in Neoplatonism; the uneducated to various Eastern superstitions and then, in continually increasing numbers to Christianity" (Russell, 251).

Russell: I put my faith in men, guided by philosophy.

Linehan:

Men are fallible. Their philosophical truths, even more fallible. I have no faith in man nor in their philosophies. All men are blind by their innate rejection of truth. When we systematize rejection of truth, as philosophy often does, that innate rejection of truth is further cultivated. Only a systematic rejection of the systematic rejection of truth will begin to free us from our pitiful state of existence. For those of us who have caught this disease of systematically rejecting truth, which is philosophy, we can only hope to stumble upon a philosophy which is a systematic rejection of systematic rejection of truth. Theresa one Truth, but many roads that lead to it. (There are even more roads that lead away from it).

A philosopher demands systematic proofs. Thus only logical systematic proofs will entice us to trade a road to truth. A new aged minded person, who practice mystical revelry will be enticed by the mystical revelation of truth. Thrill seeking hedonists have to be enticed by the pure joy one captures when finding and embracing the truth. Truth can be reached via many roads. While these roads are enticing, they are bought. The roads that lead away from truth are at least as enticing and at first glance are not marred by the obstacles of the roads to truth. The further we travel along these roads, the harder it is to turn round towards the truth. Augustine offers a prime example of both the difficulty of this and the rewards of success.