For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by the absence of pain and fear, and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He taught that pleasure and pain are the measures of what is good and bad, that death is the end of the body and the soul and not to be feared, that the gods do not reward or punish humans, that the universe is infinite and eternal, and that events in the world are ultimately based on the motions and interactions of atoms moving in empty space.
Epicurus was often vilified as favoring the uninhibited pursuit of pleasure (hedonism), however he invariably counseled restraint and temperance with respect to physical desires.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus
Why should I fear death?
If I am, death is not.
If death is, I am not.
Why should I fear that which
cannot exist when I do?
2007-05-18 02:59:00 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Interesting that a guy from 341 BC had it better together than many people I see today.
2007-05-18 03:03:35 · update #1
Dog: interesting that you should immediately seize upon the ethical/moral aspect of it, I was just asking "doesn't he sound like an alright guy?" ;)
2007-05-18 03:06:16 · update #2
It's definately healthier than living in fear of the big angry man in the sky. Throw in some principles of self sacrifice for the advancement of humanity, and it'd be a good code to live by.
2007-05-18 03:08:03 · answer #1 · answered by Eldritch 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
But even in striving for the tranquil life, with an absence of pain and fear, the pain and fear don't go away. They still rear their ugly heads.
Not that there is anything wrong with seeking these things, but isn't this as a guide purely selfish?
As a measure of good and bad, pleasure and pain are superficial, don't you think? Is it good to help someone change their tire? How about on a cold day? Not so much pleasure, but surely a good thing. Take this to the extreme and you lose the connection completely between 'pleasure' and 'good.'
He seems to scratch the surface of what goes on in the real world. He is probably a great guy to go to the beach with, but not the kind of guy you want to see drive up when you have a flat tire on a cold snowy night.
2007-05-18 03:12:04 · answer #2 · answered by super Bobo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i'm no longer an atheist and can't communicate for atheists. that's surely actual that Epicurus did have self assurance in the gods. He taught they are benevolent beings that are no longer in touch in human life. And a protracted citation that questions the life of god or gods this is often attributed to him is a pretend attribution; Epicurus on no account suggested it. whether, Epicurus did have plenty to assert regarding the proper thank you to stay in this life. He believed friendship is fairly significant and that mutually as we could desire to continuously paintings to have the fabric possession we choose we could desire to continuously no longer attempt for severe cloth possessions as they detract from our friendships and different sturdy problems with life. He did no longer fairly have self assurance in pursuing exhilaration whether he used the word; he did have self assurance in a non violent life loose from stress and cares. i think of his teachings approximately a thank you to stay could desire to income a lot of people regardless of their non secular ideals. whether, he did no longer have self assurance in an afterlife and non secular people won't agree on that distinctive factor. in addition they'll no longer agree together with his materialistic attitude. yet those ideals are no longer had to be sure that all of us choose friendship and freedom from concern.
2016-10-05 07:43:46 · answer #3 · answered by riopel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From your and Wikipedia's account he was highly intelligent, and unafraid of verbalizing his views.
It would have been interesting to converse with him about his postulates. Though it is impossible to enjoy his company, we may treasure the company of others we have met in the past or will meet.
About the fear of death, my wise grandfather said, it is not death I fear -- it's the process of dying I don't like. Perhaps the two would have enjoyed each other's company?
2007-05-18 03:10:30 · answer #4 · answered by Fuzzy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Oh dear!! I am Greek and Epicurus is my darling!
This "Why should I fear death.." is one of my most favourites.
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There is also a very famous ...spaghetteria in Athens called Epicurus! I have been there some times and I can assure you that the hedonism theory finds its manifestation there!!!
2007-05-20 00:38:49 · answer #5 · answered by Alice in Wonderbra 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Philosophy isn't my field of expertise. However I do like Epicurean philosophy, it is like an form of rational hedonism. If memory serves, wasn't he also credited for helping to lay the intellectual foundations for modern science and for secular individualism?
2007-05-18 04:05:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Don't we call this utilitarianism? He seems okay, but how would I know? I think people can espouse an attractive philosophy and be unlikeable at the same time. And people can be likeable while espousing problematic views.
2007-05-18 03:02:48 · answer #7 · answered by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't agree with his philosophy that happy life is absence of pain
2007-05-18 03:03:49 · answer #8 · answered by Bailey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know very little about him, but I don't think his hedonism was the same as what we think of as hedonism.
2007-05-18 03:04:57 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Eh, humanistic lifestyle centered on self. Not for me.
2007-05-18 03:04:56 · answer #10 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋