Welcome Max Duboff

Welcome Max DuBoff

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All of us who are here have arrived at our respect for Epicurus after long journeys through other philosophies, and we do not demand of others what we were not able to do ourselves. Epicurean philosophy is very different from most other philosophies, and it takes time to understand how deep those differences really are. That's why we have membership levels here at the forum which allow for new participants to discuss and develop their own learning, but it's also why we have standards that will lead in some cases to arguments being limited, and even participants being removed, when the purposes of the community require it. Epicurean philosophy is not inherently democratic, or committed to unlimited free speech, or devoted to any other form of organization other than the pursuit of truth and happy living through pleasure as explained in the principles of Epicurean philosophy.

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We have found over the years that there are a number of key texts and references which most all serious students of Epicurus will want to read and evaluate for themselves. Those include the following.

"Epicurus and His Philosophy" by Norman DeWitt

The Biography of Epicurus by Diogenes Laertius. This includes the surviving letters of Epicurus, including those to Herodotus, Pythocles, and Menoeceus.

"On The Nature of Things" - by Lucretius (a poetic abridgement of Epicurus' "On Nature"

"Epicurus on Pleasure" - By Boris Nikolsky

The chapters on Epicurus in Gosling and Taylor's "The Greeks On Pleasure."

Cicero's "On Ends" - Torquatus Section

Cicero's "On The Nature of the Gods" - Velleius Section

The Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda - Martin Ferguson Smith translation

A Few Days In Athens" - Frances Wright

Lucian Core Texts on Epicurus: (1) Alexander the Oracle-Monger, (2) Hermotimus

Philodemus "On Methods of Inference" (De Lacy version, including his appendix on relationship of Epicurean canon to Aristotle and other Greeks)

"The Greeks on Pleasure" -Gosling & Taylor Sections on Epicurus, especially the section on katastematic and kinetic pleasure which explains why ultimately this distinction was not of great significance to Epicurus.

It is by no means essential or required that you have read these texts before participating in the forum, but your understanding of Epicurus will be much enhanced the more of these you have read. Feel free to join in on one or more of our conversation threads under various topics found throughout the forum, where you can to ask questions or to add in any of your insights as you study the Epicurean philosophy.

And time has also indicated to us that if you can find the time to read one book which will best explain classical Epicurean philosophy, as opposed to most modern "eclectic" interpretations of Epicurus, that book is Norman DeWitt's Epicurus And His Philosophy.

(If you have any questions regarding the usage of the forum or finding info, please post any questions in this thread).

Welcome to the forum!

forum!

Dear Cassius,

I'm confirming that I registered for an account on Epicurean Friends. I mainly did so to let members of the community know about some scholarly articles I have forthcoming: one on why/how an Epicurean can die for a friend, and another on Epicurean approaches to sex. I'm also happy to provide some extra help with tracking down or translating sources if anyone needs; and I'd be happy to come on the podcast.

Wishing you well--and major kudos on your work popularizing Epicureanism! (In addition to being a scholar of Epicureanism, I do consider myself an Epicurean.)

Cheers,

Max DuBoff

Welcome Max and glad to have such a distinguished person with us!

Thanks for the kind words Max and it's a pleasure to hear from you.

No doubt you've been reading somewhat on the forum and you've seen that we are a somewhat "opinionated" website, actually trying to build a community true to the ancient model and not just trading information.

In that regard I am very pleased to see the two articles you mentioned, and though I haven't had a chance to read them in full yet, they both seem to indicate a direction that would likely be consistent with what you'll find here. I think most of our participants would agree that "yes" Epicureans do engage in sex, and even marriage, and even having children, not a a universal rule but under the "right circumstances." And that we would do so, when those opportunities arise, because in fact our prime supreme goal is not in fact "Tranquility" but Pleasure, with tranquility being one pleasure - an an important one - but not the only pleasure or the highest, because pleasure includes all experience that is not painful, and that includes joy and delight as well as those that are more "stable." Most of us find it inconceivable that Epicurus would have provided in his will for female minors to be married to members of his school if he had thought he was sentencing them by necessity to a less than happy life.

And likewise as to your article on dying for a friend, most all of us embrace that as well, not just because of the importance to be placed on friendship, as stated throughout the texts, and specifically stated to have been Epicurus's position by Diogenes Laertius, but again because our prime directive is NOT "Tranquility' but happiness based on pleasure, and we are not going to sentence ourselves to living on when the pain of not dying for that friend (again under the right circumstances) would be worse than living on.

You're probably much more familiar with many of these issues than most of us are here, and I'm hopeful that you will be an "ally" on them

Another issue that's regularly debated in general circles is whether Epicurus was simply "covering himself" with his views on religion so he would not have to meet the end of Socrates. Again on that issue, our community takes Epicurus' views on divinity seriously, and while that doesn't fit neatly under the category of "atheist" it does rule out belief in supernatural forces or that there are supernatural gods who choose to favor some people and condemn others.

It's both a privilege and a challenge to have someone like yourself here, because most of our new members have to wade through weeks or months or years to begin to see the importance of these issues, and you come to the table fully stocked - so to speak - with knowledge and opinions on these issues and more.

I hope we can explore some of these issues here in this thread and that you'll let us know your thoughts on these and other key issues which academics have opinion back and forth for so many years.

Again, thanks for taking an interest in the forum and we look forward to hearing more from you!