Ethics - General Discussion

In this section we discuss Epicurean Ethics and how to live as an Epicurean in a world where there are no supernatural gods and no life after death.

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  1. Ancient Epicurean Texts (300 BC to 300 AD)
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  4. Physics - The Nature of the Universe
  5. Canonics - The Tests of Truth: The Five Senses, Anticipations, and Feelings of Pleasure and Pain
  6. Ethics - How to Live As An Epicurean
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    2. Perspectives On "Proving" That Pleasure is "The Good" 209

      • Todd
      • December 19, 2022 at 4:34 PM
      • Todd
      • July 15, 2025 at 12:11 PM
    3. Replies
      209
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      61k
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    4. Matteng

      July 15, 2025 at 12:11 PM

    2. Would You Rather Live For A Week As (1) Epicurus During the Last Week of His Life or (2) An Anonymous Shepherd Laying In The Grass In The Summertime With No Pain At All? 104

      • Cassius
      • September 6, 2023 at 2:36 PM
      • Cassius
      • October 22, 2023 at 3:28 PM
    3. Replies
      104
      Views
      35k
      104

    4. Pacatus

      October 22, 2023 at 3:28 PM

    2. Hypotheticals: Would An Epicurean Hook Himself Up To An "Experience Machine" or a "Pleasure Machine"? 32

      • Cassius
      • March 23, 2020 at 2:05 AM
      • Cassius
      • December 6, 2025 at 2:41 PM
    3. Replies
      32
      Views
      19k
      32

    4. kochiekoch

      December 6, 2025 at 2:41 PM

    2. Pleasure, Desire and Limits 36

      • Godfrey
      • July 20, 2022 at 8:34 PM
    3. Replies
      36
      Views
      18k
      36

    4. Godfrey

      July 20, 2022 at 8:34 PM

    2. Are You Epicurean Or Hieronymian? 26

      • Cassius
      • October 1, 2019 at 2:08 PM
      • Cassius
      • June 30, 2022 at 5:44 AM
    3. Replies
      26
      Views
      18k
      26

    4. Cassius

      June 30, 2022 at 5:44 AM

    2. "Absence Of Pain Is Pleasure" - How Would You Articulate That To Someone? 37

      • Eoghan Gardiner
      • April 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
    3. Replies
      37
      Views
      17k
      37

    4. Rolf

      April 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM

    2. On "Desires" And Their Relationship To Pleasure 30

      • Godfrey
      • September 10, 2020 at 2:53 PM
      • Godfrey
      • September 12, 2020 at 7:44 PM
    3. Replies
      30
      Views
      13k
      30

    4. Cassius

      September 12, 2020 at 7:44 PM

    2. Multiple Components Comprise the Epicurean Life 30

      • Kalosyni
      • October 23, 2021 at 1:53 PM
    3. Replies
      30
      Views
      13k
      30

    4. Godfrey

      October 23, 2021 at 1:53 PM

    2. Is pleasure as the natural goal of life falsifiable? 30

      • waterholic
      • December 8, 2022 at 6:08 AM
      • waterholic
      • February 10, 2023 at 11:02 PM
    3. Replies
      30
      Views
      13k
      30

    4. Don

      February 10, 2023 at 11:02 PM

    2. Mental pleasure/pain more intense and longer lasting than physical pleasure/pain 33

      • frank1syl
      • December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM
    3. Replies
      33
      Views
      12k
      33

    4. BrainToBeing

      December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM

    2. Is All "Ataraxia" Equal? 30

      • Cassius
      • November 18, 2023 at 7:47 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 19, 2024 at 12:29 PM
    3. Replies
      30
      Views
      12k
      30

    4. Cassius

      February 19, 2024 at 12:29 PM

    2. Imagery On The Interplay Between "Pursue Pleasure" and 'Avoid Pain" 33

      • Cassius
      • March 28, 2023 at 9:09 AM
      • Cassius
      • March 31, 2023 at 10:10 AM
    3. Replies
      33
      Views
      11k
      33

    4. Don

      March 31, 2023 at 10:10 AM

    2. Elena Nicoli - An Excellent Presentation On Epicurean Pleasure 11

      • Cassius
      • April 16, 2018 at 4:18 PM
      • Cassius
      • May 7, 2018 at 10:50 AM
    3. Replies
      11
      Views
      11k
      11

    4. Eoghan Gardiner

      May 7, 2018 at 10:50 AM

    2. Epicurean Freedom. Enslavement by culture. The mob. 15

      • Harrington Andros
      • May 14, 2018 at 12:11 PM
    3. Replies
      15
      Views
      11k
      15

    4. Hiram

      May 14, 2018 at 12:11 PM

    2. How has the word epicurean come to mean excess? 22

      • ThinkingCat
      • May 19, 2023 at 6:50 PM
    3. Replies
      22
      Views
      10k
      22

    4. Cassius

      May 19, 2023 at 6:50 PM

    2. If Death Is Nothing To Us, Then Life Is Everything to Us 29

      • Cassius
      • October 7, 2023 at 12:06 AM
      • Cassius
      • October 7, 2023 at 8:22 PM
    3. Replies
      29
      Views
      10k
      29

    4. Cassius

      October 7, 2023 at 8:22 PM

    2. Valueless Virtue in Modern Stoicism 16

      • Matt
      • January 10, 2019 at 8:48 AM
      • Matt
      • January 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM
    3. Replies
      16
      Views
      10k
      16

    4. Condorcet

      January 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM

    2. We Need A Game Show With A Lightning Round Question: "Happiness or Pleasure? - Why?" 28

      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2023 at 8:16 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 5, 2023 at 3:43 PM
    3. Replies
      28
      Views
      10k
      28

    4. Little Rocker

      February 5, 2023 at 3:43 PM

    2. Tips On Offsetting Pleasures Against Pains 24

      • Cassius
      • November 28, 2023 at 8:27 AM
      • Cassius
      • November 29, 2023 at 9:56 AM
    3. Replies
      24
      Views
      9.8k
      24

    4. Cassius

      November 29, 2023 at 9:56 AM

    2. As to the Term "Hedonic Calculus" or the "Calculus of Advantage" 22

      • Cassius
      • February 27, 2022 at 7:26 AM
      • Cassius
      • March 1, 2022 at 12:03 PM
    3. Replies
      22
      Views
      9.3k
      22

    4. Godfrey

      March 1, 2022 at 12:03 PM

    2. Why Minimizing All Desire Is Incorrect (And What To Do Instead) 34

      • Kalosyni
      • December 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM
    3. Replies
      34
      Views
      9.1k
      34

    4. Cassius

      December 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM

    2. Would There Be Benefit In Adapting the "Benjamin Franklin Journaling Model" To Our Discussion of Practical Exercises? 16

      • Cassius
      • July 12, 2021 at 12:26 PM
    3. Replies
      16
      Views
      8.6k
      16

    4. A_Gardner

      July 12, 2021 at 12:26 PM

    2. Explaining In Summary Form How A Man In Extreme Pain Can Be Said To Be "Happy" 22

      • Cassius
      • April 20, 2024 at 5:38 AM
      • Cassius
      • July 1, 2024 at 1:24 PM
    3. Replies
      22
      Views
      8.6k
      22

    4. Kalosyni

      July 1, 2024 at 1:24 PM

    2. An Epicurean "Sanity Check" 14

      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2019 at 11:55 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 5, 2019 at 8:20 AM
    3. Replies
      14
      Views
      8.6k
      14

    4. Cassius

      February 5, 2019 at 8:20 AM

    2. Maximum pleasure as absence of all pain: a philosophical question concerning neuroscientific and Epicurean outlook toward the feeling of pleasure 10

      • shahabgh66
      • January 26, 2024 at 7:24 PM
    3. Replies
      10
      Views
      8.4k
      10

    4. DavidN

      January 26, 2024 at 7:24 PM

    2. Practical Pleasure-Pain Perspectives: How Different is 99% Pleasure From 100% Pleasure? 13

      • Cassius
      • October 5, 2023 at 12:06 PM
      • Cassius
      • October 6, 2023 at 10:24 AM
    3. Replies
      13
      Views
      8k
      13

    4. Cassius

      October 6, 2023 at 10:24 AM

    2. Scientific Support for Psychological Hedonism 19

      • kochiekoch
      • April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM
    3. Replies
      19
      Views
      7.9k
      19

    4. Little Rocker

      April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM

    2. Natural versus Unnatural 12

      • Matt
      • December 30, 2020 at 8:54 AM
      • Matt
      • January 10, 2021 at 12:33 PM
    3. Replies
      12
      Views
      7.1k
      12

    4. Cassius

      January 10, 2021 at 12:33 PM

    2. Epicureans On Kingship 15

      • Cassius
      • August 2, 2022 at 10:16 AM
      • Cassius
      • October 10, 2022 at 5:11 AM
    3. Replies
      15
      Views
      6.8k
      15

    4. Sid

      October 10, 2022 at 5:11 AM

    2. Epicureanism Vs Asceticism 8

      • Hiram
      • March 12, 2019 at 9:44 AM
      • Hiram
      • March 14, 2019 at 1:37 PM
    3. Replies
      8
      Views
      6.7k
      8

    4. Cassius

      March 14, 2019 at 1:37 PM

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